Across The Universe
by RavenRois
Summary: The advanced post-apocalyptic world was bizarre, dangerous and wondrously diverse. There, a woman from the small population of original humans would take a chance and risk everything to help a man who is considered an anomaly even by those who have created him. /AU/
1. Prologue

_More than a thousand years ago the world suffered from a plague that wiped out more than half of the human population. No one saw the calamity coming. Everyone thought that it was the end but just when the light of hope got nearly extinguished by the famine, cruelty and anarchy caused by the plague, humans found salvation. It turned out that there are those who were immune to the virus. From their blood they found a way to salvage the remnants of the creatures inhabiting the planet. A vaccine was developed and was distributed successfully but the story didn't end there. The discovery of human's immune to such evolved type of virus led to a series of inhumane experiment done on a select few which were found to have survived death because of their evolved state. The select few disappeared one after the other. Where to? No one knows._

_Three hundred years later, just when society started to blossom once more, thriving to regain its fallen luster and pride, another pole shifting event took place, the appearance of Neo-humans. These Neo-humans were intellectually superior, stronger and were capable of abilities known only to human in fiction. It was believed that they have managed to unlock 30 to 50 percent of their brain capacity. Along with their appearance came the existence of new animal and plant breeds. Where they all came from? No one knows._

_The appearance of the more efficient beings was followed by disorder and struggle for power. The Neo-humans were capable of standing on their own. Soon enough they managed to build a metropolis for their own kind but not before having to deal with the humans who were fragile and inferior compared to their likes. There was bloodshed and the humans almost didn't stand a chance to the Neo-humans who can take down ten or more humans each. Again the already small population of humans started to deteriorate. As the Neo-humans rose into power and populated more of the lands over the years, the humans crumbled down and started to cower and hide for survival. There were still those who continued to fight but as soon as the human population dropped frighteningly, to less than one fourth of the original populace, they stopped. Self-preservation prevailed and they decided that there might be a way to compromise._

_Borders that once separate one territory from the other were removed and so was the notion of countries. The Neo-Humans built a one world nation in their rule. The Neo-humans acting like the gods decided to give the remaining humans a chance on life and so the creatures who once ruled the world were pushed outside the boundaries of the new cities erected by the superior beings. They were given sovereignty over themselves in exchange they shall not involve themselves in the affairs of the new beings or ever bring any kind of disruption to the euphoric peace that the Neo-humans think they have achieved. Humans who dared to cross the line and the 'gods' were mercilessly slaughtered while some became test subjects to the experiments done by the superior ones._

_In the passing centuries the realm bustled with diversity and life once more. Long were the days of the plague and wars. The Neo-humans became the official inhabitants of the place along with other species who live alongside them. The humans were just a thing of the past. They were forgotten as they decided that rebelling would only equate to their annihilation but there are still some in the group who believed that the time will come when the weak could gain leverage and once again own what was originally theirs. If they couldn't gain what they used to have at least they hoped to live as equals with the Neo-humans._

_Despite being forgotten, the Neo-humans still takes interest with the humans. They would come and visit the lowly creatures every once in a while, in hopes to find individuals amusing enough for their taste. When Neo-humans came and visit the human towns, they would parade themselves lavishly as if to slap the filthy creatures in the face with the fact that they were far powerful than they are. The Neo-humans have all the extravagances and luxuries at the tips of their fingers, which resulted from the research and experiments they are all proud of, but somehow they always wanted more, an entertainment in the form of a puny human perhaps. Which only proves that despite being evolved the greed and madness that humans possessed in the deep recesses of their hearts never left their system._

_Quietly the strife between the two worlds continued. It was epochs since the new beings appeared as well as the last major event that shook the world to its core. A lot has changed especially for the superior beings. In contrast the humans continued to live a dull almost pathetic, uneventful life. The freedom they once had and the power they once abused was snatched. What was left of them? Hope? Probably._


	2. Mad World

**I**

The sun was about to appear in all its majestic glory. In a while the irritating wailing of sirens from the round speakers hanging on slightly rusted poles scattered around town would sound once more to signal the start of the day. It was quite cold and many loathed having to wake up that early only to start a long routinely day of work. Yet no one could complain for every effort they gave on their assigned work would contribute to the survival of the slowly declining human population.

Combing her soft auburn hair with her fingers, a young woman with soft features and a small smile on her face gazed at herself in the mirror. She hummed a tune from a song she has no idea what the title or lyrics was. Her hand traveled down her plain pastel knee length dress to straighten it then folded the elbow length sleeves twice, cutting its length in half. She twirled to check herself in the mirror once more then smiled contently.

Rushing out her room, she almost collided with her raven haired friend who managed to evade her , thanks to her agile movements. She caught the klutzy woman by the arm, helping her keep her balance before she kissed the cold dusty floor of the apartment.

"Orihime, don't go running around like that" she grinned at her friend. "You know that you're a tornado…"

"Always a step away from disaster" she interjected with a small laugh. She beamed at her friend. "Good morning Tatsuki!"

"Good morning!" her friend replied and started to stroll down the hall, with her following just a few steps behind.

On their way down several other people started going out of their rooms as well. The apartment holds around fifty inhabitants. It was a bit rundown but it was enough to keep everyone from freezing and provided a decent place to sleep.

"I wonder if there is much to do today" Tatsuki stretched up then fixed her enforcer uniform. She was assigned to crowd control in the supply distribution office. It was a tough job but she got so used to it that it's boring.

"The clinic would probably be busy today." Orihime glanced at the almost dead trees that lined the street. In between some of the trees were trash and scraps of metal and other discarded things just lying around waiting to be picked up by the sanitary team, if they felt industrious enough.

"Oh yeah! Well good luck with that. It's allergy season and also there's the chemical spill from the factory" Tatsuki cringed. "That place is filthy as hell, I wonder what kept it from exploding to the skies" she paused and sharply glared at the men who were giving them dirty looks and smile. "Jeez those losers" she muttered and grabbed Orihime, who was oblivious, by the wrist. "Come on Orihime"

"Eh? Tatsuki" she glanced at her friend who was obviously pissed.

"Don't go off anywhere on your own alright?" A worried look casted on her face. "Lately there's been a rise in cases related to assault. Let someone walk you home at least"

Orihime looked down, trying to hide a blush as she replied. "Kurosaki walks me home most of the time"

Tatsuki caught a glimpse of her smitten look as she mentioned of their longtime friend. She was about to say something when the sirens wailed, breaking the tranquility on an instant. Everybody stopped and looked towards the direction of the speakers, waiting for the morning announcement. A warm, pleasant but authoritative voice started speaking to the people of the town. It was a three minute announcement, finished with the upbeat tune from their town's anthem. After that everyone returned to what they were doing.

Upon parting ways with her best friend, Orihime hurried to the town doctor's house which also served as the clinic. In their town there were only 3 doctors. The closest hospital was three days travel from their town, in a bigger town which was home to more humans. She thought of the place many times before and wondered if there was a huge difference with how they lived there and here, after all it was inhabited by humans too meaning they probably suffer from the same hardships they do. She sighed then looked to the direction of the vast metropolis that lay miles from their town. In there she was sure that everything was different. She bit her lip and hoped that everything were different, not only for her but for everyone else.

It was early but the clinic was already hustlin' and bustlin'. Orihime was greeted by some of the patients who knew her then she was welcomed by Yuzu and Karin, handing her a towel and a basin to be filled with hot water as they did so. It turns out that first thing she had to do that morning was help someone give birth.

She smiled at the mother to be, who was calm but obviously in some sort of pain as she walked in one of the rooms for minor operations. She knew it was going to be a tough start for the day but she was glad nonetheless that she's going to aide in bringing another life into the world.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Untying her bright sunny locks, Orihime slumped down the now empty bench outside the clinic which was filled with patients earlier. She was tired but still with a smile on her face she started to unwrap her food for the day. It wasn't much but food can be scarce, especially around this time of the year. Around this times it would almost be impossible to stock up since everyone was given stubs enough only for their needs and nothing more. She though was lucky because despite the lean times she would never go without. Tatsuki works in supply distribution and the workers there could always get their hands on some extra and she would always drop her some food in the evening.

She ate in silence. The clinic was quite aside from the casual conversations from Karin and Yuzu who were cleaning things up. The doctor was probably asleep, tired from the day's work. Leaning back the bench, she gazed at the sky which was almost the same color with her hair if not for the smoke that thinly covers it. She remembered reading a book owed by her brother. In the book it was said that birds flew in the sky and that on a windy day kids would fly kites but that doesn't happen now. Birds in their town stopped appearing 3 generations back and kids don't spend that much time playing for they are trained to learn a trade and would start working as soon as they can. She then sighed at the thought of her brother.

"Oya! If it isn't Inoue Orihime" came a raunchy voice as it approaches. There was snickering behind the guy who walked as if he owns the place. Orihime looked up and knew that it was trouble.

"Aren't we lucky to get a sight of such beauty in this wretched place?" the guy slithered next to her on the bench and his men stood just steps away from them, giving their boss some space to make his moves on the attractive woman.

Orihime instantly moved away and dared to stand up to leave but the guy pulled her wrist, making her sit back down beside him again. She could smell liquor, sweat and cigarette from the man, it made her stomach churn.

"Let me go please" she said calmly despite the position she was in.

The guy laughed and inched his face closer to hers, taking in every detail of her. His eyes then fell on her full mounds, making all his yellowish teeth show. "Would you like to go visit my place later? Unlike anywhere else in here, my place sure is fun. What…." The guy wasn't able to finish his sentence. A foot came crashing into his face, extending his neck back into an uncomfortable length due to the impact. He can feel his face pulsate and blood started rolling down his nose. He cursed loudly then snapped his head back to see who did it. In front of him was a strawberry blonde boy, wearing the town's watcher uniform. Standing next to the boy was the woman who was just inches away from him moments ago. He growled, annoyed and angry.

"You brat!" he charged forward but the boy dodge effortlessly.

"B…bo…boss" one of his men who was watching in obvious fear spoke up. "That's…That's Kurosaki Ichigo boss…"

"So what?!" the guy glared at his subordinates. "I'm gonna kill you!" Without another word, another kick connected to his stomach. The kick was strong enough to send him on his ass and several feet from where he was originally standing.

"Keep your filthy hands off her and we'd have no problem" Ichigo declared looking harshly at the fallen man.

"Screw you!" the guy barked back but he couldn't even lift his ass off the ground.

"Now go while I can still feel some compassion towards rats like you" he commanded with firmness as he looked at the guy then his subordinates who were obviously afraid of him. The subordinates quickly carried their boss, who was spewing indecent words as he goes. Ducking their heads to Ichigo they ran off, exactly like the losers that they are.

Ichigo turned to the woman standing behind him. She really attracts attention, with her bright hair, pretty face and well developed body, it can't be helped. She looked up at him with those huge gray guiltless eyes of hers. "Inoue, are you alright?" he inquired, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded at him and felt blood rushing to her cheeks the moment his hand landed on her shoulder. She knew him for a long time, worked for his father and they were really good friends. She sighed in her head, repeating the words good friends. "That gave a me a bit of a fright but you…you're here so it's alright"

"You can be quite the man if you want to, Ichigo" Karin grinned extending her thumb up to the two.

"Yay! That was so cool" Yuzu ran out the clinic door then grabbed Orihime's hand. "Are you alright?"

Orihime gave the girl a nod then she glanced at Ichigo whose eyes still haven't left her. "Is something wrong?" she tilted her head to him.

"No…it's nothing" he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Probably it's time for me to walk you home" he offered. She just gave him that radiant smile of her and nodded. For a bit he felt his heart flutter.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

All in all, the town can be rated as dull, worn and barely thriving. The afternoon siren is about to sound in about half an hour to officially mark the closing of all offices and facilities. The streets will then be filled by people making their way home. After that short while of ruckus in town everyone will then be expected to be at their respective homes. The streets aren't exactly the safest place at night. The town might have firm governance but there are groups of bandits and anarchists who would rampage the streets just for fun and the thrill of getting chased by the watchers.

Orihime was always home before the siren sound and Ichigo would always walk her home. In this short moment alone they would talk about random things. She would always take quick glances at him as they talked. If she can she would hold his face with both her hands and stare at him but she would never have the guts to do that. He was talking about the details of the accident in the factory but she was only half listening. She was in wonderland again, her head filled with what ifs about him and her. Her thoughts though were interrupted when he snapped his fingers at her.

"Inoue, your head is in the clouds again. Jeez, have you even heard what I've been saying" he looked down at her and noticed how startled she was.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking about this and that" she said clasping her hands together behind her. She then remembered that she have something important to tell him. "Uhm…Kurosaki. I was wondering if you could accompany me to the old building in the east end tomorrow"

"Why? What are you…." He stopped after remembering that tomorrow was the day her brother passed on five years ago and he was buried in the cemetery outside the rundown building. "Sure thing" he gave her a faint smile, knowing that she still mourns his passing.

Her brother was a scientist and inventor. He used the building near the cemetery as his laboratory. He worked on lots of different things and has contributed to the town's crop raising, greenhouse, sanitation and medicine development with his studies. Despite her brother's contributions nasty rumors about him circulated for some time. He wondered to the borders of Las Noches and disappeared for one year. When he returned, it was like nothing happened but he was surely equipped with more knowledge. He hasn't said a word about what happened to him all those time he was away but people thinks that if there was one person he'll talk to openly about that experience with the Neo-humans it would be Orihime. Even she denies knowing anything about her brother's disappearance though.

Finally the two arrived in front of the apartment. Ichigo stopped and turned to her. She took one last step before looking at him. Their eyes met and he noticed how her cheeks got dusted with hues of pink.

"Thanks for walking me home again" her fingers reached for stray strands of auburn hair and kept them behind her right ear.

"Not a problem at all. Just don't hesitate to ask me for any help. Also just to be safe don't go out alone, even when the sun is at its peak. And in case those scumbags dare go near you again, you should tell me right away and I'll beat them out of this place" he said placing both hands on his waist.

Orihime laughed at how furrowed his brows got as he gave her some reminders. He was one of those who were always there for her, aside from Tatsuki. He cares for her and protects her. He was more than a friend but he's more of a brother than a lover.

"I'm serious Inoue!" he bent down a bit on her then placed a hand on her shoulder, making her stop laughing. "We should put flowers on your brother's grave tomorrow. Yuzu managed to raise some small white ones behind our house. I'll go get some tomorrow"

She nodded her head and raised both her clasped hands to her chest. "Sure. That would be great. Thank you"

"See you tomorrow then, Inoue" he started to stride down the streets to his post for the night.

Orihime stayed were she was for a while longer and watched until his back disappeared down the street. She wished that he'd be kept safe again tonight. A watcher's job is a risky one. Despite his strength and combat proficiency, she still fears that he might come into harm. She sighed and again wished that they didn't have to live in such conditions. She again looked at the direction of the city miles from their town. Couple of years before her brother died he has ventured into that place. He have returned safe, physically, but what no one knows about was his short moments of delusions and the small conversations he would have to himself about things that she could barely understand. Sometimes he would look too afraid, as if death stood right in front of him but then there would be times when he would look as if he just hit the jackpot after having some realization of something. _"Brother…"_ she closed her eyes and his face appeared in her mind, with that she leisurely made her way back to her apartment.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Green pair of eyes searched the vivid and effervescent boulevards of Las Noches. The natural satellite of darkness have taken its throne and instead of killing the life out of the city it did the opposite, it revitalized it. Almost like a shadow in the corners of all the bright lights, he strolled down the sidewalk, his hands casually on his pockets. If anyone would have noticed his presence the first thing they were going to think off is how oddly out of place he was in the city filled with life. His pale skin, like alabaster, was in contrast to the all-black ensemble he was wearing. His raven hair, a bit messy but fitting his appearance, falls just above his shoulder. Under his eyes were dark lines, like dried track of tears or a spill from his emerald orbs, which some would consider as decorative but he has it for as long as he could remember. While others laughed and talk in the company of another or their hand held devices, he kept his gaze straight ahead and kept a stoic face. One could actually mistake him for a robot who just stepped out of some laboratory, for it would appear as if his steps are calculated and his posture suave.

He was in the liveliest district of the city but he wasn't there for fun. He was there for business, more like his survival though. After almost half an hour of walking around, he finally arrived at his destination. The shop just like him was an anomaly in the ocean of lights and area of luxury. It didn't have any light outside and the means for anyone to know it was a shop was the banner with its name on it.

Without any thoughts the pale man stepped into the shop. It looked thrice as large compared to what is expected outside. His orbs scanned the place. It was simple and well kept. The shelves were filled with normal items, most of them sweets which really doesn't interest him. He came here for something else. His eyes then met another from behind the counter. The eyes were paired with a sweet smile which seemed double edged.

"And what can I do for you sir?" the chirpy voice called, eyes under the brim of his hat observed the strange man standing in his store.

"I need the quickest way out of the city" he stated firmly, his face still.

"Oh" the man stood up and closed his fan. "On the run?" he inquired but there was no response. "Well you're in luck, my friend and I would be making some deliveries on the outskirts. You should tag along then"

"What would it cost me?"

The shopkeeper chuckled and took a step closer to his customer. "Your name and your story, probably you could also join me for some snacks."

"Is that all?" he was in disbelief for the price of his escape but he didn't change his demeanor.

"I run a business whose foundation lies on information trading and you sir, I believe has lot of interesting things to share with me" he reached into the pocket of his moss green jacket and fished a pocket watch made of silver. After checking the time he turned from his customer and opened the door leading to the area behind the shop. "I believe we shall now grab some snacks. I keep a tight schedule though it might not be obvious. Please follow me…uhhhn.." he looked over his shoulder.

"It's Ulquiorra" he stated. "Ulquiorra Schiffer"

* * *

**Note: **_Hello guys! First of all I'm not sure if it's Schiffer or Cifer, though I think the latter is correct. I see both being used all around but I settled for Schiffer. _

_-The title of this fic is Across the Universe because of the song. I was watching Pleasantville, one of my favorite movies, when I was writing this chapter. Across the Universe is the movie's theme and it was sang by Fiona Apple. _

_-The story was inspired by City of Ember and my love for Ray Bradbury's tales. _

_-At first I didn't care much for shipping anyone in Bleach but I just can't help it I just have to ship Ulquiorra and Orihime :3 I was thirsty for more when Ulquiorra got killed... I was really disappointed but I expected that to happen. _

_-Please leave a review. It would be greatly appreciated. Reading reviews actually fuels the writer's brain so yeah. Don't hesitate to leave a review! _

**_If you're reading this thanks for finishing chapter 1!_**


	3. Forgotten Things

**II**

The first thing that popped into Orihime's mind the moment they got close to the barren land near the edge of their small town was her brother. He used to spend a lot of time in the place, before and after his disappearance. The place was serene and despite its eeriness, contributed by the fact that it's also a burial ground, it was bizarrely inspiring. It was the perfect place to get creative and focus on delicate work.

The land was surrounded by a five feet high wall made of red bricks. Almost half of the surrounding wall though was non-existent, due to the bad weather from time to time and its lack of care. The iron wrought gates were covered with climbing plants and rust. Ichigo who walked ahead of Orihime pushed the gates and it creaked like a dying demon. It broke the silence and black birds came flying out from inside.

Orihime visits the grave once yearly, last year she was with Tatsuki but she didn't asked her this year because she remembered her saying that her job was slowly killing her, though she probably asked Ichigo because she wanted to be with him. She diverted her gaze from his back at the thought of it.

Several feet from the desolated building at the center of the cemetery was her brother's grave. A smooth flat stone was placed on top to mark its position with his name on it. The stone though was covered with weeds and dirt that one would miss it if they didn't knew about it. She crouched down and removed the obstruction then placed the flowers in a bottle on top of the stone. She inaudibly spent a couple of minutes to say something to her brother then she stood up.

"Thanks for coming with me here today" she gave her companion a coy smile. "and for the flowers"

"It's nothing" he replied as he turned his attention to the structure to his right. "Inoue, your brother used to stay here a lot right?"

"He did" She started to walk towards the almost fallen structure. The front part looks intact but the side walls got holes and half the roof has already fallen. The glass on top of the wooden double doors was broken and the doorway was covered with plants. "Would you like to go inside?" she looked over her shoulders as she reached the doors.

"It's probably a dump in there" he replied but followed her anyway.

She pushed the doors which opened easily. She too expected a dump but to her surprise it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. The last time she's been there was on his brother's second death anniversary. After that she didn't bothered going in that place anymore. "It doesn't look that bad"

"You're right" Ichigo said as she walked in ahead of her. There were also some plants growing here and there, puddles of water, moss and rusted old things. The fallen parts of the wall also scattered on the floor. His eyes traveled to the tables and shelves that line the walls. It looked dusty and some things were grimy but most of the things were intact.

Inoue ran her hands over the armrest of benches which lined both sides of the aisle in the middle of the building. Her fingers got damp and instantly covered with dirt. The thick fabric that covered the aisle was already crumbling and its original color was almost unidentifiable. As she reached the last bench before the podium, she stopped and sat down. She took in the details left on the stained glass window which gave the dull wall some life. In front of the tall arched window was a simple item made of wood. If her memory served her right, it was called a crucifix. She shifted her gaze to the man who just sat next to her. He too studied the things in front of them.

"Before" she spoke and the silence shattered as her voice echoed, amplifying it. "people has something they called religion"

"Huh?" Ichigo directed his attention to her. "I heard my old man talk about that a couple of times but I don't get it"

Looking ahead of her she continued. "A religion was something that gave people something to believe in and it gave them a set of rules to follows, as well as the punishments they would receive for breaking the rules."

"Something to believe in? You mean like…" he paused and thought of something. "like believing that the rain would stop the next morning or believing that someone wouldn't die?"

"I'm not sure but based on what I read and what my brother explained to me, people used to believe in higher powers. Like beings from the sky or somewhere from space" she chuckled. "I thought it was funny at first and then I realized as I learnt more that this religion humans created became a foundation of their life. It acted like a guiding principle for them. Brother told me though that a lot of chaos was caused by this religion though." She placed a finger on her lower lip and tapped it a couple of times as she thought. "Actually there weren't only one religion, there were many of them and people can choose what to believe in"

"Is that so? Now that I think about it, the reason why the old man spoke of religion before was because there was this group of humans who refuse to stay in towns because they didn't want to be surrounded by non-believers of their religion."

"It makes me wonder though. How can something so important to humans be forgotten just like that? We no longer have this so called religions but we still are thought with the morals that originated by them. What made us decide to dissolve these beliefs?"

"I don't know the answer to that but maybe this religion was no longer useful or maybe it failed its purpose." Ichigo stood up.

"My brother told me that the higher being we worshipped involved gods, angels and spirits. And he told me that the only thing we held on to in those beliefs was the idea of the devil." Orihime stood up as well.

"They exist alright and sadly these devils are in form of humans as well, if not Neo-humans"

"If we believe in the existence of darkness then why don't we believe on the opposite of it" she walked towards the center of the aisle, the light strained by the stained glass bathed her. "Sometimes I think that it would be better for us to believe in something again. I mean just for the sake of uplifting everyone's spirits. Probably believing that there is still hope for something better in the future wouldn't be bad." She placed her arm behind her to grab the other lightly. "Truth be said sometimes it scares me how horrible people can get but I want to believe in the goodness of their heart…" she stopped as soon as she felt a firm grip on her shoulder. She looked up and saw his smiling face.

"I'm glad that I know one less horrible person in this town. Times are tough, so people have to be too. I was never one to read books too much but I know the basics of our history. With the situation humans are in right now, I understand why we stopped trying to regain what we have lost at some point. But you are right, we should still believe that we have hope"

"Kurosaki…" she muttered then returned his smile.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

It was the tenth time that the dark skinned woman, driving a sleek black high velocity car, checked the mirror. Her amber eyes studied the emotionless face of the impossibly pale man sitting behind her. It's been hours since they started their journey to the outskirts but not a word was spoken by the man or neither did his emotion changed. She looked ahead and reached for her pass as they reached the gates of Zone 8. Around ten feet away from the gates she raised her pass in front of her to be inspected by an automatic scanner which isn't visible to anyone. When the pass is accepted the vehicles would be allowed through the gates but if it isn't the vehicle would be shut down instantly by an electromagnetic shot and would be pulled aside for inspection. Luckily she never had problems with passing through the gates, she had an A class pass which gave her access onto all the gates. Upon passing the gates, the driver turned to her best pal who sat next to her.

"Kisuke what's his deal? He neither talks nor moves. Even robots got more life than him." She took another glance at the mirror hoping to see some reaction since the topic shifted to him but there was none. She wasn't a faint heart and fear is a stain at the last page of her dictionary but she admits that the man behind them was oozing with some sort of darkness she can't point her finger at and it made her skin crawl the moment they met.

The shop keeper smiled. "He's just not much of a talker"

There was a while of silence.

Ulquiorra turned his attention to the vast nothingness outside. Night was at its peak and not even the light from the moon can quench the darkness in the area. In the distance his eyes caught a short row of white lights, peaking out like stars on land. He concluded that it must belong to the scarce dwelling in the area which is far from the road they were taking. It made him wonder what the outskirts would be like then. Las Noches, up to Zone 7, was gleaming with life but the last three after that is dawdling in insipidness. It was sand, dirt, quartz trees and tumbleweeds made of crystals all over. He knows though that there is more to this than it appears. He remembered talks about a vast facility beneath Zone 8 to 10. There were no proofs to the gossip but he was sure that there is something underneath the desert. Las Noches is the capital city of the world, which is now known as Hueco Mundo as a whole, and so those from the upper tier wouldn't waste a space like this.

"So, Ulquiorra" Kisuke glanced at him from the mirror. "How about Yoruichi and I start briefing you with the basics in the outskirts?"

"Go ahead." He muttered.

Yoruichi glanced at the man and for the first time since they started the journey she caught him moving. He nodded and leaned back but that was all. As Kisuke started talking it was as if he returned to his rigid self.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Sitting in the middle of her room, in her night clothes after a long warm shower, Orihime looked out her window. The moonlight graced her window, reason why she turned off the light in her room. It was beautiful and it put her into the mood to do some experimenting. Beside her was a box containing her brother's belongings and research, half of them she doesn't understand. She reached inside and pulled out a leather journal, its pages were yellow but it was still in perfect condition. She snapped the lock open and slowly turned its pages. Upon arriving at the entry she was looking for she stopped and placed the journal down. With her eyes she read the entry which she knew quite well already.

_She did it again today. I can't believe my own eyes. I'm overwhelmed with this discovery that it scares me. But no, I shouldn't be scared. She's my sister. The only one I have and I love her with every cell in my body. I have to learn more about her abilities, that way when the time comes I could help her with whatever problems they may cause. Am I right though to ask her to not use them? That is for the best at the moment….I guess. _

After the short entry she turned the pages then stopped once more. She felt a pang in her heart as she laid her eyes on the last entry her brother made before he disappeared.

_Tomorrow I'll start my journey to Las Noches. I heard from some of the groups outside the town that humans can slip in there. That place is the center for knowledge and I might find answers there. I admit that I'm doing it selfishly just to feed by curiosity but this should be worth it. I'm surprised that I don't feel even a tiny bit of fear when I'd be venturing in their territory. My only chance of getting in there is if I find a way myself. Waiting for the next Neo-human to waltz into town to pick a toy isn't an option. I have to go now. Orihime would be scared but she's tough. Tatsuki and her mother would take good care of her. Again I told her not to tell anyone or use her power. She's curious about it but I can't risk anyone knowing. Who knows what they'd do to her._

Orihime then quickly turned to the last few pages of the journal. There were random notes written in different ink colors. Some she can easily read while others were written in haste. She focused though on the list with read bullets on the side. It was a list of instances when she managed to materialize her, whatever it is to be considered. Her brother said that it was a gift she should treasure, she believes him but she wonders if it was a curse at the same time. She was told not to let anyone know and she wouldn't but she can't help but use it. She was curious and since it was a part of her she wanted to know more about it. She wouldn't want to be a stranger to herself.

Grabbing the dead plant in a small colorful pot next to her, she raised both her hand and concentrated. In her mind she wished for the plant to live. At first it doesn't seem to work but as frustration crept in an orange flash of light appeared and it covered the plant. Life was breathed into the wilted stem and dead leaves. She can't help but smile at her handiwork. She never had control of it in the past but as she experimented with her abilities she slowly got the hang of it. Just like her brother it astounded her but scared her as well. The smile on her face was then wiped and her lips twisted into a frown. Before she knew it hot tears rolled down her cheeks, dropping on her knees.

She remembered that time when her brother returned from Las Noches. That day she went to the cemetery to check on the laboratory. As she opened the door she saw him sitting on a one of the bench, unmindful to her presence. Quickly she ran to him and hugged him tightly, even cried on his arms but he didn't responded. It was after she shook him hard that his eyes moved to her and as if realization kicked in he hugged her back. He was back but he wasn't the same. A year after that he died in a shooting by a group of anarchist from outside of their town. At that time she still has no solid knowledge about what her powers could do. It was a year after he died that she decided to go through some of his things and that's when she learnt that he was able to come up with theories about her ability and he has two conclusions, time reversal or rejection. The fact that she could do either pained her. If she knew earlier she could've prevented him from dying but she stopped nagging herself about that. Despite her brother's research she still doesn't know the extent of her power and she's never tried it on anyone in fear that she might end up hurting them.

Orihime wiped her tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. She returned the journal to the box then stood up to return it to the shelf. She forgot about the pot on the floor and tripped, sending the box flying from her hands and its content scattered on the floor. She safely landed on her knees and hands. When she got over the shock she slowly sat up and writhed her wrist to check if it got sprained, luckily it wasn't. She then started crawling towards the items that spilt from the box.

She froze. Under the pale moon light, just an arm length from her was an almost realistic sketch. It was made by black ink and the lines were rough but decent enough to create a disturbing image of something that exist not even in her wildest dreams. She's never seen it before; it must've been stuck in between the papers. She can discern that it was her brother who made it, probably from the time when he seemed unstable. She reached for the slightly crisp piece of paper and looked at it closer. She wasn't sure what to make of the sketch in her hands but with all its darkness something stood out to her, which breathed life into the sketch. The green pair of eyes that stared back at her.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

The outskirts of Las Noches was a wasteland with mountains of old and forgotten things. The origins of the garbage can be traced back from the time when Las Noches was developing on full speed. The air in the area was can't even be compared to that of the inner districts. It has a distinct stench of rotten, moldy and burning. No wonder why it was this secluded. It was supposed to be noon but the wasteland was as dark as late afternoon. In a distant there was smoke coming from houses made from scraps. Even from where they were standing they can feel presence of other beings, lurking behind the items whose names are already wiped from the new dictionaries of their kind. These beings are those who were shunned from the bright lights of Las Noches for various reasons. The environment of the outskirts was harsh and it would speak of its inhabitants as well.

"Well" The store owner closed his fan and crossed his arms. "I believe our paths shall part here"

Ulquiorra turned to the man and the woman who stood next to the black vehicle which was covered by some cloth that made it blend well to its background, giving an effect of invisibility. "It will and as promised I won't breathe a word about your involvement in this."

Yoruichi snickered. "I don't mind getting into some trouble"

"It's boring, yes. But I know this isn't the kind of trouble we would want to involve ourselves in my dear" Kisuke smirked.

"I shall be on my way" Ulquiorra turned from the two and started on the next leg of his journey alone.

Yoruichi and Kisuke watched him as he disappeared into the dark path that leads deeper into the city of waste. He was walking exactly the same way he did when he strolled into Kisuke's shop in Zone 5, bold but not in any kind of haste. It seems like he added despair and emptiness in the already glum landscape. In his dark outfit, pale skin and blank face, he was like death making his way to the next soul to be devoured.

"Are you sure it's alright to let him go?" the woman unfolded her arms under her chest and stood straight up.

"Yes. I find no reason why I won't help him in his small request" replied the man as he lifted the metal cylindrical capsule next to him. "Besides even if I refused to help him, he'd find a way out. Also I'm interested with how things would work out for him"

"What is he anyway? I'm sure he's not one of us but it's impossible for him to be human either." Kisuke started walking and she followed.

"You're right. He isn't either. He is something _they_ created but doesn't want to let live as well. He's a Vasto Lorde" he looked at his companion over his shoulder with a knowing smile.

* * *

**Note: **_And that was chapter 2. Don't hesitate to leave your thoughts about the story. Looking forward to hear from you guys!_


	4. Hurricanes and Suns

**III**

Moving deeper into the city of waste, Ulquiorra pictured a mental image of the path to the underground tunnel which Kisuke described in detail to him. Despite the deviance of the place from the store keeper's description, he managed to spot the said land marks in the maze of trash. At this point of his trek into the unknown land, he still hasn't run into any living beings or dwellings but he couldn't dismiss the fact that eyes were watching him. From where he was at the moment he could see the outline of an old power supply tower.

For a moment he stopped and panned his orbs on the landscape before him. The road he was taking suddenly forked into three. He tried to spot a huge vehicle with metal wings that spanned for several meters. It took a while till he saw something that would match the description and took the path where it laid by. The said landmark was only a fourth of its original form and the remaining part is collapsing away as well, making it harder to spot. If not for its wing and the front part which looks like a control room, he might have never guessed that it was what he was looking for. He was told that if he followed the path from that point on he would arrive in a clearing. From that area the tower is just a couple minutes of walk.

The path he took was walled with the forgotten things, used by humans and Neo-humans alike. His attention was caught by some of them. Like the long vehicle which divided into portions, its windows were devoid from glass and its color ranged from gray to rusty. There were stacks of old rubber wheels and home appliances whose designs were already obsolete.

Upon reaching the open space, he paused. With his heightened senses, he had an idea of what would take place next. Ulquiorra pushed forward, gliding calmly across the open space, his hands still casually in his pockets. They were moving closer to where he was. He can almost hear their grunts and breathing. In the last ten steps before reaching the next alley, he stopped. A shadow emerged from the top of the stacked four wheeled vehicles. He didn't have to look around to know that he was surrounded. He was expecting this and it didn't do anything to faze him even one bit.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

They are aware that the days of the outskirts were numbered. Soon the authorities of Las Noches would do some cleaning and it wouldn't be a nice scene to watch. The city of waste existed as long as Las Noches but it was within but apart from the world's capital. Its inhabitants, being those who were shunned by the city for various reasons, treated the area as a city of their own. Something they can call home.

Watching the man since the first time he stepped in the area, they already knew that something was different about him. He smelt and felt different. He demanded fear from everyone who'd set their eyes on him despite doing nothing that would require for it. They were sure that he was neither one of them or the humans. What is he then? That doesn't matter much to them though, for the inhabitants of the city of waste have already decided. If he was someone sent by the authorities of Las Noches to start the clean-up then they'd make sure nothing was left of him, not even a nail from his finger or a lash from his eye. They'd eliminate him.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Orihime stepped into the house which was connected to the clinic. She headed to the storage room just next to the living room. After gathering the things she needed, she stepped out the room and saw Ichigo pacing around the house. She instantly felt her cheeks heat up as her eyes lay on his half naked form. Her hold of the box she was carrying tightened as she tried to pull her gaze away from him.

"Inoue" Ichigo stopped pacing and looked at her.

Orihime snapped out of fantasy world and pulled out an awkward smile. "Ah….Ichigo…Is something wrong?"

"I can't find my uniform. I hope no one threw it into the laundry because I really need it now" he scratched his head, his eyes looking restlessly around.

"Why don't you ask Kon? If you left your shirt lying around then he must've picked it up…."

"If he picked it up then it would surely be in the laundry. Crap!" his brows furrowed and he quickly marched off to find the automated helper.

Orihime giggled as Ichigo left. She just loves the expressions on his face. Just the thought of him made her heart thump faster than normal, that sometimes it made her think that she might have some chronic disease. She sighed. In her head she wondered how it would feel like to be wrapped around his strong arms. As instantly as the thought occurred, it popped and she ended up scolding herself for having such thoughts. Holding her heated cheeks with both her hands, she forgot about the box she was holding, which fell on the floor. Luckily the little helper caught it for her.

"Orhime! You're all red? Do you have a fever?" the robotic helper asked. His voice at some point faltered, probably because he was poorly maintained.

"Kon!" she exclaimed at the 3 feet tall helper robot whose head looks like a cross between a sunflower and a lion to her. "I'm just fine" she leaned down to get the box from the helper's hands, or clamps to be more precise.

Kon extended his jointed arms to the young lady, which got stuck half way. "Oh no! This is bad!" he blurted.

Orihime squatted down to check on Kon, putting the box aside. "This happens quite often lately Kon" she yanked the jointed arm forward then back. "There you go" she watched as the robotic helper tested his arms which were moving once more. "We really need to get you greased up"

"Ayayay! This is why I love you Orihime!" he expressed with a twirl, his voice cracking now and then.

She just laughed at him, wondering what went wrong with his programming. The robot seems to confess his love for her often. "No problem. Anyway. Ichigo was looking for you. Do you know where his uni…"

"AHHHH! So he's looking for it?!" Kon's jaw dropped, exposing some wires inside him. "I'm so dead! Bye now my love! I shall hide for my safety" with that said the robot rolled off to the hallway next to the living room.

Orihime watched as the helper go. Kon was something her brother brought home from his journey. He was just a head then and inside was his essential parts. Despite being an archaic model for a pet, her brother managed to turn him into a house helper. Kon was then given to Ichigo's family, in gratitude for taking care of Orihime.

"Orihime" called Isshin, Ichigo's father, as he walked into the living room "What are you doing standing around there? I just got some tasty snacks from the council man as thanks for saving his daughter's life. You won't get some if you don't hurry"

"Ah! Sure thing" she picked up the box and followed the man. Before reaching the archway that connects the clinic to the house. Ichigo came rushing pass both Inoue and his father.

"I probably won't be back till tomorrow." Ichigo paused before leaving, his shirt was so crumpled it looked untidy.

"Doesn't his duty start in the evening?" Orihime inquired.

"Yeah but it looks like some watchers from the next town came to ask for some assistance." Isshin replied. "Some group has been seen on the borders of their town and the town leader was sent some threats too. A lame provocation if you ask me." He added then continued on.

Orihime followed quietly. The watchers in their town were pretty tough but she can't help but fear those groups who wreak havoc in any town they went to. They'd pillage, kill and violate women. Her brother was killed by one of these groups and she fears that they might take away someone important from her again.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

The pale man looked up at the figure that loomed above him, his expression static. As his eyes met the feral ones, the attack on him commenced. The inhabitants of the city of waste were fast but couldn't compare to him. Every attack thrown was gracefully evaded by the man whose hands didn't even left his pockets. He estimated that there were about twenty of them, not even a bother for him to eliminate. He stopped moving and stood his ground.

"Bloody bastard!" screamed one of the inhabitants who closed in on Ulquiorra, trying to sink his yellowish claws on his pale body.

As soon as the guy was close enough, Ulquiorra landed an effortlessly strong kick on his side, sending the guy sprawling on the ground several feet away from his prey. Just as he retracted his right leg, he felt a chain around it. Next thing he knew, he was off the ground on his way to a man who looked like a wall with the mass of his body. This though didn't worry Ulquiorra. When he was nearing the guy, he pointed his finger at him sending a dark electric like point blank shot to the center of his chest.

Ulquiorra felt the chain loosen and he fell on the barren ground on both feet with poise. Turning around, waiting for his next opponent, he was greeted with creatures scrambling away from him. He took a step and one of the inhabitants squealed. Lifting his hand to unleash another of his destructive shots, a man with white hair and a scar on his lower left chin blocked his view.

"Master Kariya!" blurted the beings who have already taken cover behind the ancient items. The man who just arrived didn't even spare a glance at them though.

"What do you want?" inquired the man, his voice deep and his eyes narrowed on the pale man.

Ulquiorra didn't put his hand down and looked the man in the eyes. "I'm just passing through"

"Is that so?"

Feeling that the man in front of him has no intent to fight, Ulquiorra placed his hand down and turned away. "I don't have time for this"

The white haired man watched the intruder go. He has killed an inhabitant of the city of waste but it's not like he cares for those beings, so he decided to let the obviously stronger man go. "Hey! You might want to listen to this first" he turned his head to the stoic one, who paused without looking back at him. "If you're on the run and you think that leaving Las Noches would keep you safe, you're wrong. They'll hunt you down like a dog. The world outside might also prove to be tougher than the one here"

"You didn't have to tell me that" Ulquiorra continued on his casual pace, returning his hands on his pockets.

Kariya watched the man's shadow disappear through the alley leading to the power supply tower. He sighed and clenched his fists. If only he was as strong as that man. He too would leave the town with his group but more than half of the people who leave Las Noches die by the hands of human, if not from hunger or the unfamiliar environment outside. He has kids who he can't leave behind. So just like the others he too would keep hoping that the authorities would just forget about them and if they do come to wipe them out then they'd fight to the end.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Sitting in a worn couch in the town hall's main office was a man with a striking red hair, tied into a braid. He impatiently tapped his feet with his eyes closed and his arms crossed. He was the head of the watchers from the next and closest town to this one. It seems like a group of rascals have decided to make them into their next target and he wouldn't allow that. Their town lack manpower and the number of watchers are down to ten including himself.

"Argh. I don't have all day" he groaned as he opened his eyes. He glanced at his subordinate and newest recruit. It was a woman but she is the toughest one he knows. Nobody from their town agreed to her joining the watchers but after saving a family of five from some bandits, she gained the credit she deserved. "Oi, Rukia. You can sit you know"

The petite raven haired woman stood straight up and glanced at him. "I know that. I just don't feel like it"

"Suite yourself." He said then turned his attention to the slightly dented metal door which just creaked open. On an instant he recognized the man who just stepped in, the head of the watchers of the town. "Yo! Ichigo!" he beamed.

"Renji!" the strawberry blonde man was glad to see his friend. They barely see each other but they used to train together. Then he noticed the woman standing next to the couch. She was wearing the same black jacket, cargo pants and boots that they wore. The woman was Renji's childhood friend and he saw her only once before but he can't believe that she actually passed as a watcher. "I see that you have a new partner"

"You two met before right?" Renji tilted his head to Rukia.

Rukia nodded. "He's Kurosaki Ichigo right? The one who always beats your ass" she chuckled.

"Oh shut it. I didn't get beaten. I was just holding back. Besides I'm a hundred times stronger than him now" Renji stood up and placed his feet on top of the coffee table in front of him.

Ichigo also placed his feet on the table, leaning forward to Renji, looking him in the eyes. "Well, I'm twice as strong as you now"

Renji was just about to say something more when the door creaked open. He stopped and quickly removed his feet from the table. Ichigo did too. The man who stepped in was the town head, Sasakibe Choujirou. His white hair was as sleek as ever and his moustache was combed to perfection. His golden eyes scanned the people in the room.

"I see that everyone's here. Please take a seat" he guided himself to the table in front of the window, which looked out the series of the town's greenhouses, then took a seat. The three all took a seat in the couch. Choujirou cleared his throat. "You're aware of the situation in our neighboring town, Kurosaki?" the town head received a nod for reply. "I would like you to go there then with five other men and assist them."

"Wait! What about our town?" Ichigo inquired worriedly.

"We have a group of forty watchers. With you gone and five more, we still have enough. I'll pass the command to your current right hand, Sado Yasutora. I believe he's as capable as you right?"

"Of course. Sado can take on my job easily" Ichigo blurted, a bit proud of his friend who was always strong since they were younger.

"Abarai, I hope that six more men in addition to your group would do." Choujirou addressed the red haired man and eyed his unusual tattoos, wondering if from what clan he originated from.

"That's more than enough. We'll be sent five more men from another town. Besides we get Ichigo. Even with only him we'd be able to beat the crap out of those assholes" Renji grinned.

Ichigo turned to Renji. "Wow. I never thought that you think that highly of me" Rukia chuckled upon hearing this.

Knowing that an argument is about to start the town head raised his hand, calling everyone's attention. "Ichigo, go get your men and depart with them today. I believe that by evening you'll arrive there. Everyone dismissed and keep safe." With that the meeting was adjourned.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Ulquiorra descended down the steep steps leading to the tunnel below the power supply tower. He was just five steps away from the surface and he can still hear the rasping sounds of metal beams which hangs loose from the tower above. The way down the tunnel was dark but he didn't need any light, he's got his senses and keen eyesight. Upon reaching the tunnel he was quite surprised to find that there are sparsely scattered red lights from the walls, easing the darkness even for a bit. The place was small but not cramped. It was around eight feet high and twelve feet wide. The tunnel was old and its floor was covered with moss and mud but Ulquiorra decided to walk on the thin strip of concrete that lined the whole tunnel. This kept him from stepping on the grimy floor just a foot below him.

The tunnel was once part of the city inhabited by the humans. But as their struggle against the Neo-humans failed, the city was taken as part of Las Noches and was turned into a wasteland. Upon conquering the land they didn't bother to check on its properties and so the existence of the tunnel was kept a secret from them. The tunnel opens on an area couple of miles away from Las Noches and so it was used by humans to sneak into the metropolis. All the humans who ventured into Las Noches die though before even getting a chance to leave the wasteland and so no one from the authorities learnt about it. Besides even if they knew about it, they wouldn't bat an eye. Neo-humans are confident that they can easily slaughter humans.

Ulquiorra wasn't sure how much time has passed since he started his trek but he was sure that he was far from where he started. The path had couple of turns along the way but it never forked. Several minutes later he paused. He can feel a dash of wind on his cheeks and it felt a bit sandy too. He can also smell the world that he's never seen before. Concluding that he was near an exit he continued, keeping his casual pace.

Before long, he arrived on a wall with a corroded set of ladder adorning it. Looking up he could see nothing but from where he stood the wind brings in sand which covered the bottom of the ladder. Instead of using the ladder though he jumped up and pushed himself towards the exit by bouncing from one wall to the other. On his last leap he extended a finger towards what was covering the exit and blown it away with a small shot of his materialized energy. Once outside he landed on sand, no different than those in Zone 8 to 10.

His emerald orbs caught sight of the crescent moon and it was at its peak. He then turned his attention to what lay before him, a city in ruins. The city just like Las Noches had buildings and sky scrapers but the difference is that this one was devoid from any sort of life. A strong gust of cold wind passed, tousling Ulquiorra's jet black hair along with it. He closed his eyes as if to think for a moment and then upon opening it he started to venture into the city of ruins.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

The scorching sun of midday was unbearable today. Lucky are those who have a place to stay or enough water to bask in for relief. But the fairly large group of thugs, who self-proclaimed themselves as the rulers of the barren if not sandy abandoned city miles west from the human dwellings, aren't one of those lucky people. The territory they own are lined with fallen buildings from left to right and the habitable ones are too closed to make one feel comfortable in the hot weather, it is perfect for the cold nights though. To make matters worse for them, the tank which holds months' worth supply of water was half drained by some guy from a vagabond group who held some grudge against them. They made sure they got equal though. They skinned the fucker alive and left his corpse to rot in the desert.

In the center of the abandoned city was a huge bronze and copper made sculpture of the disregarded god of the seas, riding the waves in his chariot. It was actually a surprise that the piece survived the war only slightly scathed. Around the sculpture everything seems to be a normal day to the members of the group. Some were cooking food for lunch, some were sleeping the heat away under the shade given by the buildings and some were busy fixing or upgrading their sand sail motors for a better glide. Everyone stopped what they were doing though and turned towards the direction of the vrooming sounds of the sand sail motors as they stopped in front of the sculpture. When the engines died the men stepped down and went closer to the sculpture.

A lean man with blonde hair peeking out of his horned half mask, which covered the upper part of his face, stepped forward. "We've successfully scouted the target town today" he comically saluted with a grin. He waited for a reply but there was none and so he got up the base of the sculpture. "Boss! Your best right hand ever is back!" he called, this time annoyingly louder.

There was a low groan and a string of curses. A man who was lying under one of the tall waves sat up and threw glares of daggers at the masked man who instantly jumped off the elevation, obviously in fear. "Fuck it Pesche! Haven't I told you not to wake me up when I'm sleeping? Damn moron!" the man spewed.

"Ahhh! I'm so sorry! I just wanted you to know. I didn't mean to… well…You can go back to sleep now and" Pesche blabbered but he shushed the moment the man stepped out from the shade into the sun.

"Quit your yapping if you still want to live" the man said as he stood haughtily, half naked, in front of his subjects. His trademark azure hair seems to be even more striking under the warm rays from the sun and his blue eyes narrowed as he directed his gaze at Pesche who slowly raised his hand, in permission to speak again. "Still have shit to say?"

"Yes! It's the new moon tonight. It wo…." He stopped again and this time he hid behind his larger companion.

"I know" the man growled as he ran a hand over his unruly hair. He turned and walked back to the space where he was just sleeping a while back. He picked up a black leather jacket and wore it over his bare upper half. He then jumped down the structure and landed near a sand sail motor of red and black. "I'd be back before the sun sets. Make sure that you and Dondo-crap there have already prepared for tonight's raid by then." He got on the vehicle, pulled a latch up then kicked the metal piece that holds it to the ground.

Pesche and the meatier guy next to him in a cape stood in attention. "Will do boss!" they answered in unison.

The sand under the motor swirled as it roared to life and lifted a couple of feet from the ground. Before grabbing the hand grips, sticking out on both sides of the narrow titanium front of his ride, he pulled out a pair of black gloves. He placed one over his right hand then over his bionic left. He then reached for the slot in the narrow front to retrieve his aviator goggles which he put on swiftly over his eyes. With his preparation for his short journey complete, he turned the controller inwards and the vehicle zoomed off from everyone else's sight.

* * *

**Note:** _Hello guys! First of all thank you to everyone who read this fic, followed and picked it as one of their favorite and to those who reviewed it really boosted my drive to write the following chapters. I'm just hoping that i can keep it up hahahaha _

_-At this point of the story there is still no UlquiHime but it would be coming soon. Promise...I just finished writing the raw chapter for that._

_-Oh men...I was conflicted with using cerulean, azure or light blue for Grimm's hair. I ended up using cerulean because it was the shortest one._

_-Also this fic is inspired by the songs from Humanoid City ,(the title for this chapter is a song from that album.), because of the robotic, alien-ish and futuristic theme of the story. _


	5. The Killjoys

**IV**

Orihime rushed to the northern border of the town. She just learnt from Yuzu and Karin that Ichigo was leaving that afternoon. She left the clinic to have lunch with Tatsuki and she missed Ichigo's return, so she hurried before she missed him.

The northern part of town was composed of the town hall, the green houses and the factories. She passed the industrial square and glanced at the bronze clock that hangs on top of the obelisk structure in the middle of the square. Five more minutes. She paused to catch her breath then pushed on once more. For some reason she felt really eager to see him off. Something tells her that she should see him no matter what for it might be… She stopped her thoughts, shaking her head in the bad omen that they might bring.

Finally, she reached the northern outpost. Chad was the first person she spotted. He was tall and strongly built, not someone you'd easily miss even in a crowd. She went to him, bending on her knees and panting as she stopped.

"Sado…" she managed to say. "Where is…" before she can even finish what she has to say, on the side of her eye she spotted Ichigo.

"They're about to leave. You made it in time" Chad pointed towards Ichigo and his group with his thumb.

"Yey! I made it!" Orihime perked up. "Thanks Sado" she then rushed to Ichigo but slowed down when she noticed that he was talking to a raven haired woman, wearing the watcher's uniform and a white scarf. The woman walked away and went to a brightly red-haired guy with tattoos on his arms, neck and even his forehead.

Ichigo briefly glanced to his side and caught a view of Orihime making her way to him with a wide smile. "Inoue!" he called and waved.

Orihime stopped and took a deep breath before facing Ichigo. "Hi!" she exclaimed in glee, actually not knowing what to say next.

"What brings you here?" he inquired.

"Ah….well" Orihime looked somewhere else for a bit then she locked gazed with him. "I just wanted to say that you should take care of yourself. I would be really …. I mean we would be really sad if you get injured or something so please come back in one piece… because you're important…to us all" she looked down, knowing that her cheeks were probably rosy by now. A giveaway of how she felt. For a moment there she thought that she's going to spill all her feelings for him. It's weird because she never got this close to doing that. A hand then firmly gripped her shoulder, causing her to look up.

"Don't worry about me. I'll come back in one piece." He gave her a reassuring smile. "You should really get going Inoue. It would be dark soon and you know that it's not safe to be out alone at the moment"

"You don't have to worry, I can take care of myself" she paused and fished something out of her dress' pocket. "Here. This helps stop bleeding instantly. It would really come in handy"

Ichigo received the small round tin container and hid it in his breast pocket. "Thanks a lot"

The red haired guy called to Ichigo and told him that they're going. Ichigo just raised a hand to signal that his coming.

"Well…looks like you'd be going now" Orihime gazed at the face of the man she secretly loved for the longest time one last time.

"Yeah. See you soon Inoue" he patted her shoulder once more then ran off to join the men who were already on their sand sail motor. Each vehicle had their town's respective seals on the hind part, distinguishing the watchers from each other.

Orihime went back to Chad and stood next to him. She watched as the group sailed into the horizon, placing her clasped hands over her chest, hoping for their safe return. The ominous feeling she's been getting for a while now is getting stronger but she shook it away with a smile.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Ulquiorra leaned back the wall of a dark room in one of the many devastated buildings in the city. The only light coming into the room was from the fallen half of the wall adjacent to the one where he rested. It was going to get dark soon and he can finally continue his journey.

It's not that he couldn't walk under the sun, after all creatures who can't as far as he know only exist in stories from ancient times. He was just overwhelmed with how hot it can get outside and he hasn't been out under the sun for a long time. The last time he saw the sun was also the last time he was considered normal by anyone. He always walked in the shadows and he preferred it that way. Now though things have changed, soon he shall get used to the glaring sun until he can stay someplace better than the ruined city.

He watched as the last drops of light got swallowed by the dark. He straightened up and left the building. Standing in the middle of the lifeless city, he wondered if they have already noticed that he was gone. He started walking, the same direction he was taking before. He knew that if they've found out he's gone then someone would be on his heels by now but that's not the case. They would find out about it eventually but it didn't scare him. They'd go after him, to kill him or bring him back just to be imprisoned for his betrayal or probably so that they can strap him down the cold metal counter to be turned into another specimen but he was ready for them.

His loyalty lay with only one man and that man was eliminated by those who were afraid of his power and potential. Now that he has no master to follow, he can fight without restraint. His words were his command and he never thought that liberation would feel so damn good.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Sado Yasutora hastily ran up the concrete incline which leads to the metal steps of the watchtower that clanked under the steps of his weight. Upon entering the only room in the tower, he headed for the searchlight and pushed the automatic button so that it would pan from left to right without an operator. The moon isn't in sight tonight and it was the perfect time for attacking a town. A cold gust of wind danced by, swaying the hair covering half his eyes to the side. In that same instant he saw a light that blinked once. He leaned forward over the table, with the transmitter and other communication device, for a better look at the dark horizon. It was bad news for him. Without waiting another second he alerted every one of the upcoming storm.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Orihime just finished washing the plate she used for dinner. Walking towards the sole window in her apartment, she closed her eyes and sighed. She wasn't at ease and the desolate street out her window and the moonless sky didn't help her case. The oblate street lights that hang on a low pole across the apartment started to flicker. It turned off then moments later it turned on. She slapped her forehead lightly for thinking that some monster would appear under the light. Her imagination can get out of hand most of the time.

With a sigh, she was about to turn and prepare some hot water for a long relaxing bath but she spotted a young blonde girl stop under the light. Orihime blinked twice then thrice, thinking that the girl was just a figment of her imagination but she was real. The blonde girl was panting and then she dropped on her knees. Orihime squinted and it appears that the girl was injured. Without any second thoughts, Orihime ran out of her apartment and down to help the girl.

Just as she was about to cross the street to aid the girl, the town siren wailed. She stopped and listened closely to the untimely announcement.

_Everyone lock your doors and shut your windows. Under no circumstances will you come out from your homes. Our brave and loyal town watchers are already dealing with the situation at hand and so everyone shall stay calm….._

Orihime stopped listening and rushed to the girl. The girl was probably around twelve years old and her pale hair dropped to her waist. She was wrapped in an oversized parka. As Orihime knelt down to check on the girl she shuddered as she noticed that the girl's hands were covered in blood and it was fresh. The girl was obviously in shock as her eyes fixed blankly at Orihime.

"Oh my…What happened?" Orihime took hold of the child's wrist and realized that she froze in fear like stone. She knew that she should hurry and get back in but she won't leave the child alone, especially one that is in that state. "Listen. I'll help you but we have to hurry back into my place now."

"No….I can't….my brother…." The girl weakly pointed to her left. Orihime followed where she was pointing and saw that on the intersection lay a man in a fetal position. The girl grabbed her sleeve and she started crying. "Please help my brother! He got stabbed protecting me… He can't die!"

Briefly an image of her crying over her dead brother flashed. On impulse, she pulled the girl up and ran towards her brother. Kneeling down next to the body that was breathing heavily, Orihime quickly but carefully rolled the man to his back. She caught a glimpse of the girl, who was still shaking and sobbing. Looking back at the wound on the man's side she realized that the wound wasn't lethal but it would kill him if they don't close the wound fast. Based on the matted blood on his clothing she can conclude that he's been walking around with the wound for quite some time now. She thought of carrying the man back to her apartment but the groan he gave off when she moved him suggested that it wouldn't be a wise idea.

"Please…help him…" the girl cried.

Orihime forced a smile. "Of course. We won't let him die. Now listen to me…."

"It's Lurichiyo" she said wiping off her tears.

"Luri, I want you to run up my apartment on the third floor, it's the last door on the hall. Go in and grab the gray box on the shelf. I'll stay with your brother. Hurry" she instructed and the girl quickly got up and ran into the apartment. Just as the girl entered the apartment, Orihime thought of using her power to save the man. She was still in doubt that it would really work on humans but on instant an orange light engulfed the man and slowly the wound closed up. She couldn't believe that her power worked and he focused on healing the man.

As the healing started, Orihime's ears perked up. There were roaring of engines and it was getting close. Luck wasn't seem to be on her side that night, for as the vehicles turned the corner to the intersection her eyes widened at the sight of a group of intruders in their sand sail motors. She wasn't sure if she would stand up or stay put in panic but she was sure of two things, the men have already spotted her and she wouldn't leave the girl's brother.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"Boss! Look at that!" Pesche pointed at the woman sitting in front of a man who was engulfed in a bright light. "What the…."

A snicker escaped the azure haired leader's lips. "Looks like I'd hit some jackpot tonight." He twisted the controllers inwards sending him ahead of everyone else.

As he circled the woman and the man covered in blood and bright light, he eyed her figure and laughed with his luck. He came here for the chase and the stocks but right now there's a chick looking at him doe eyed.

"Hey! Haven't you heard your town's alarm? What the heck are you doing out here?" he stopped, looking at her with a grin. "Well it's not that I wished you aren't here, cause it'd be really great if…" he reached for her shoulder but his hand was swatted away making him pause. "What the hell?! Playing hard to get you…"

"I got the medicine…" the voice of the little girl trailed off as she saw the man in front of the woman. She knew that they're in big trouble now.

"Get lost!" he exclaimed shooing the girl.

"Lurichiyo! Run! Go back inside!" Orihime stood up, about to run to the girl upon seeing that other men have already arrived, but she was stopped by a tough arm blocking her stomach. A hand then closed on her side, pulling her close to the azure haired man.

"Where do you think you're going princess?" he turned the woman to him and to his surprise his face rang with her slap. The woman wriggled away from him and ran to the girl. Before the woman can even reach the girl, the kid dropped to the ground after a loud shot that echoed throughout the area.

"NOOOO!" Orihime cried as she felt her legs go limp. The girl dropped on the ground, a hole punched on her stomach and the contents of the box soaked in her blood. "No… Lurichiyo…" she took feeble steps until she reached the girl.

"Assholes! Who fired that!?" the azure haired leader looked at the five men across him. Locking his eyes on the bony one next to Pesche whose hand was still on his gun's trigger, the hot headed leader lifted his own weapon and blown the man's head to kingdom come. "You don't fucking do anything I don't tell you to!" he exclaimed then his eyes fell on the woman who knelt next to the girl. Just like the other four men left standing, his eyes locked on the orange light that engulfed the girl. Moving next to the woman and looking over her shoulder's his eyes whose color resembled the ocean widened. "Holy fuck" he muttered as he saw the hole on the girl's chest close and the girl's eyes started to flutter then it opened, locking on those of the woman.

"BOSS! What kind of sorcery was that?!" Pesche exclaimed starting to jog in place.

The man didn't mind his sidekick. The woman turned to him with fury in her eyes but he replied with a smirk. "You are coming with me woman" he bent down and grabbed the woman by the waist then hoisted her over his shoulder. She started squirming and even shouting but he's handled women who made a much worse scene than her. "Shut up or I'll kill you!" he commanded and the woman suddenly turned limp but started sobbing.

"No! Don't take her!" Lurichiyo sat up, panic in her eyes as she rushed towards the man who just rode his transport.

"Sorry but I've got no time for snotty brats" with that said the azure haired man kicked up the engine and speed off into the night.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

The only thing Orihime can see was the black leather jacket, her fiery hair blown over her face by the wind, the protruding red steel behind the vehicle's seat and the sand that divided as they swiftly traveled across the vast nothingness far from the human towns. Her heart was racing in fear and in her head all she could think off was Kurosaki Ichigo. He always comes to her aid ever since they were little and was very protective of her. Somewhere in her mind she wished that he'd pop out of nowhere to rescue her but that was impossible. They were miles out of town, she was clueless where they were and he was on another town fighting battles of his own. She swallowed hard and tried to move her hips from his tight hold but he steadied his grip, making it more uncomfortable for her.

"So your still alive princess. I thought I'd have to dump your corpse around here somewhere. That would be a waste though, wouldn't it?" The azure haired man turned the motor sharply to his left.

For a moment Orihime thought she was going to get thrown off but the man didn't even loosen his grip on her. She stayed quiet and didn't move until the scenery changed. The ground behind them was paved, parts still covered with sand but it appears that they entered some town. She turned her head to her right and realized that they weren't in any town. They were in an abandoned city.

Minutes later the motor stopped and Orihime can hear people chatting and moving around her. The man who was carrying her got off the vehicle and swiftly jumped up something that appears to be a podium. She got dropped on the ground without any finesse. Her face twisted in pain but she forgot about it when she realized that her thighs were showing because her dress got rolled up. Quickly she pulled her skirt down and glared daggers at the azure haired man who smirked at the sight of her soft flesh. Turning her gaze away from the man she realized that people gathered around them. Looking to her left she saw a wave sculpture then turning her gaze up her gray orbs saw the magnificent structure that towered over them. If not for the situation she was in, she would gawk at the sculpture for hours but her life was hanging by a thread now. She wished that if they were going to kill her, they'd kill her swiftly.

"So what do you think about my city?" the man looked down at her as if he was going to step on her.

She forced a laugh. She thought that playing along with them might also help preserve her life. "I think it's neat"

"Good" the man grinned and bent down, lifting her face to him with his bionic fingers. "Because from now on, you're the property of Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez"

Orihime felt her skin crawl. His blue eyes were digging into her. The idea of her being someone's property was a nightmare. She wanted to slap herself hard to wake up from this dream but the pain in her back as she got dropped was enough proof that all of this was real. She wanted to cry but it seems that even her tears are afraid of the man called Grimmjow.

Grimmjow inched closer to her. "What's your name?"

"O...Orihime" she muttered.

He grinned then turned to the people who gathered near the sculpture. "Pesche, Shawlong go and place the loot on the storage. Everyone else, get lost and I don't want any off you to bother me tonight" he turned to Orihime who was obviously shaken. Narrowing his eyes at her, he enjoyed the response of fear in her eyes. "Cause I'd be a bit busy" he took hold of her arm and pulled her up then away from everyone else.

* * *

**Note: **_Hey hey hey! So I won't be able to update next week but after that I'd try to update every week. _

_-So the sand sail motors. I planned to abbreviate it as S.S.M but it sounded like a kinky three-way so I slashed the idea off. I hope you have an image of how it looks like hehehe_

_-Oh and for the extras in the story I will be using characters from the filler arcs. So far I've used Kariya and Lurichiyo ( the brother was supposed to be Kenryuu hihi)_

_-I never like the idea of IchiHime ,just saying, but at the same time I ship Rukia with Renji not with Ichigo hahaha. And yeah my favorite pairing is UlquiHime then Kisuke/Yoruichi_

_-The Killjoys is my idea of what Grimm's group would be called, just an idea. :3_

_Yay! So that's all for now! Please leave a review. It helps drive the writer's mind and makes 'em happy like a cute kitty hahaha! _


	6. Devil for her

**V**

"Let me go! Please…" Orihime begged as she got dragged into the dim lobby of a nearby building.

Her captor groaned, giving her an enraged look. "Shut your hole woman" Grimmjow noticed huge drops of tears ran down her paled cheeks. "Tsk." He tugged her arm, pulling her closer to him, and then carried her on both his arms. It was easier that way than having to pull her all the way up to his quarters.

She felt all her strength starting to drain away as the man climb up the stairs. What would she do? Should she continue to resist him? She remembered how his fists balled just moments ago obviously ready to hit her only to shut her up. In the back of her mind she can't help but wonder what she did wrong to deserve this. Suddenly lots of things started to flood her mind and she even failed to notice that she already spaced out.

Grimmjow noticed how she was just staring blankly at him, as if all of a sudden all her hopes for life got crushed, but that's way better. He continued down the decent but rundown hall and stopped in front of his room in the end of it, pushing the door open with his feet. Upon entering the rather spacious room he tossed the woman unto his bed.

Orihime snapped out of her thoughts as her body hit the soft surface. Taking a couple of deep nervous breaths she sat up, darting her eyes like a cornered animal around the room. The room was the biggest one she's seen her entire life. It could be considered as a house in fact for the furniture was scarce but all the basics were there, from a couch to a small kitchen.

Finally her eyes lay on her captor who just walked out of the small bathroom to her right. She instinctively cornered herself to the edge of the bed as he walked towards her, tossing his leather jacket on the nearby couch. She can't help but get flustered with the sight of a half-naked man, considering how well built he was. The man's eyes caught hers, coupled with a sinister smile.

He was greeted by eyes filled with fear. Somehow bringing out that kind of look from people was his specialty. He knows what was on her mind but fucking her isn't his priority at the moment. He had other plans but doing her is still on the list, next to what he's going to ask of her.

"Please don't…." the words just flown out of her trembling lips.

"Don't what?" he laughed and sat on the bed. Leaning closer to her, he pulled her by her ankle, dragging her close to him.

She squealed as she got pulled by him like she weighs nothing. Quickly she got up, wrapping herself with her arms as if it would do something to protect her from him.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "If you don't want me to do anything you won't like then do as I say" there was no reply. "Here take a look at this" he extended his left bionic arm to her.

It was only then that she realized that more than half his arm was bionic. Despite him being the cause of her misfortune, she hesitantly moved closer to take a look at his arm. She was familiar with the model of the prosthetic arm. Her brother used to imitate models of prosthetics from larger human towns to provide for the people in their town. This type is highly dexterous and is controlled by the brain by planting a chip in the base of the nape which connects the brain to over 100 sensors which spreads throughout the piece. "It's nicely made" she remarked.

"Yeah, cost me a fortune" he pulled his arm away from her.

She noticed how the scary, dominating aura around him disappeared. Slowly her breathing started to steady again and the coldness of her hands subsided. There was a moment of silence as she looked down the striped pattern of the sheet beneath her. Upon raising her head, her eyes met his.

"Do something about it" he commanded.

She titled her head to the side, confused with what he just said. "What do you mean?"

"I saw what you did with the kid. This arm is becoming a liability without proper maintenance."

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Return my arm"

"What?" her eyes widened in his request. "That's impossible"

"Try" he insisted, narrowing his eyes at her.

"After what you've done you expect me to help you?"

"Of course" he smirked. "You are my property and that entails that you do as I say."

"No" she crossed her arms.

He moved himself closer to her with a dirty smile. "I get it. You'd rather get yourself fucked than do me a favor"

"Of course not!" She exclaimed, her face all red.

"Then give it a try" he removed his arm in one tug and placed it next to him.

Orihime knelt up and leaned a bit closer to his amputated arm. "Alright but promise me…"

Grimmjow interrupted her. "not to touch you?" he chuckled. "I'll try"

"Then no" she pouted.

"Fine whatever" he waved a hand in dismissal of the subject. "Just get on with it" he pointed at his left arm.

She pouted at him but upon noticing that his brows started to furrow she leaned closer to him. She almost stumbled forward but managed to keep her balance anyway. She placed both her hands near his arm. She remembered the words used by her brother in his research. Rejection. And so as she tried to focus herself, in her mind she muttered that she reject the absence of his arm. It was as if thinking that she rejected the fact were the magic words, the orange light covered his arm.

"That's something. You sure you're human?" he watched the light.

"I am human" she stated. It was only now that she got to get a clear look at Grimmjow's face, without the tears and the haziness caused by fear. He's got strong manly features and was in fact handsome. His blue eyes went well with his electric blue hair. For a bit she wondered if it was his natural hair color.

"I don't blame you for getting attracted to me but don't stare like that" he scowled. She giggled "What's so funny?"

She pursed her lips. "Nothing. Sorry." She looked down and beamed as she saw that she was actually making progress with his arm. "I can't believe it."

Grimmjow looked down his arm and to his surprise it did started to grow back. He didn't even feel it. "I knew it"

"Huh?"

"When I first saw you I originally brought you back to make you my squeeze but after patching up that kid I realized that what I was told years back was true" he glanced at her. There was a short pause then he continued.

"I met a man in a desolated city years back. He said he was travelling back to his town. I was pretty beaten up and he fixed me and the arm." He tilted his head towards the arm. "I asked him what he was doing out there. He said that he wanted to know more about the power to reject fate or something"

Her eyes widen. Somehow she got a feeling that the man Grimmjow met was her brother but she didn't said anything and continued to listen.

"I laughed at him. It was stupid, even Neo-humans don't have that kind of ability"

"How'd you know?"

"Doesn't matter" he spat. "Anyway, he told me more about the ability. I was still recovering and I had no choice but to listen to the looney as he went on and on. After my men found me I decided to repay my debt to him. He asked me for a ride to the huge human town. I agreed and before we parted he told me that if we see each other again he'd ask that person to return my arm to the way it was. Of course I didn't believe him. But here you are" he looked down his arm which now grew to his wrist. "Bringing back my freakin' arm" he noticed a small smile on her lips.

"Did you get the man's name?" her eyes met his again.

"Hmn?"

"Was it Sora by any chance?"

"Yeah. You know the guy?"

Orihime smiled. "He's my brother"

"Is that so? Where's he now?" he started moving his fingers which just grew out.

"Dead" she replied with a frown.

"I see" he wriggled his fingers and twisted his wrist.

Orihime saw the look of amazement in his eyes and was glad that she managed to help him. If her brother said that he'd return Grimmjow's arm then somehow doing this would fulfill that. "I think that's it" the light disappeared.

Grimmjow stood up. He went to the couch to grab his jacket with his new arm. "This room will be your room now. I'd be going down and don't you try to escape if you value your life" he threatened before heading out the door.

Orihime collapsed on the bed with a groan. He told her not to escape but that's the only thing in her mind at the moment. She would really make a run for it if only her body doesn't feel limp. The roller coaster of emotion for one night was too much for her. She rolled on her back, staring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes to clear her mind. Forgetting that she was in her captor's bed, she dozed off.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Grimmjow hopped on his ride and sailed off to the outskirts of his city to the east. Once he got there he headed for some broken down building and stood in front of a half fallen wall.

"Better give this new baby a try" he flexed his arm and clenched his fist. Standing his ground he punched forward sending bolts of his energy towards the wall. His fist didn't even touch it but slowly the wall started crumbling then eventually it fell to the ground.

Looking at his fist, he grinned then started laughing. "Finally" he gave off another punch to the air. It's been eight years since he lost his arm and it was also that long since he fought on full strength. Blood lust was taking over him but he pushed the urge back. He'd find a worthy opponent to see if he didn't get rusty after the years.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Chad thought that the extent of the damage done by the group who attacked their town ended with stealing some of their supplies. Never would have he imagined that one of his friends would be taken away. His head was a mess despite his calm nature. Looking at Tatsuki who was puffy eyed and the kid and her brother who claimed that Inoue healed their wound on an instant, Sado sighed.

It was every towns rule not to go after bandits to their territory but that doesn't mean he'd just stand around and do nothing. Figuring out a plan in his mind, something else worried him more than anything else. How would he tell Ichigo that Orihime was gone? With that thought Chad closed his eyes and counted to ten to clear is mind but failed.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Orihime's eyes fluttered open with a yawn. In her still half asleep state she can see the small rays of sunlight streaming from the sole window in the room. Scratching her eyes lightly with the back of her hand she slowly tried to get up but failed to do so. She realized that something heavy was holding her down around her stomach. Frantically turning her head to her side, she was greeted by the sleeping face of the azure haired man. Looking down from his face, she realized that he was half naked and his warm body was rubbing against the bare skin of her arm. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she pulled herself from his hold. As she did he groaned and leisurely opened his eyes.

"Eeekk…." She shrieked as she finally managed to get out of his grasp only to fall out of bed.

"Jeez…what's wrong with you woman?!" looks like he was a grouchy riser. Pulling a pillow over his head he went back to sleep.

Orihime shoot up, clenching her fist on her sides. In her head she wanted to yell at him but decided against it. She was fine and the last thing she'd want is for him to get pissed enough to kill her. Besides she can use this time to sneak out from the room but before that she headed for the bathroom as she felt nature's call.

After doing her business, she decided to freshen up a bit. To her surprise the bathroom was pretty neat and it had toiletries too. She was staring at herself in the mirror, encouraging herself to stay strong as she combed her auburn locks with her fingers, when she heard a series of impatient knocks.

"Hey! If you ain't dead yet get out of there. I need to take a leak" he called from the other side of the door.

Quickly opening the door, she turned red as she laid her eyes on the almost naked guy in front of her. He walked past her but she froze in place. He was only in his underwear, a short made of thin cloth which barely hid anything from her. iI was only when he sneezed before doing his business that she snapped out of her thoughts, shutting the door quickly. She thought of running out the door but now that he's awake her chances of escaping are slim to impossible. Moments later the door opened and he walked around like she wasn't there.

Grimmjow noticed the statue like woman who looked at a blank wall with a red face. He grinned and walked towards her. "Like what you saw?" he stopped just a step from her, turning her face to him with a finger on her chin.

"No" she answered with a look that suggested irritation.

"That was a first" he removed the space between them and felt her start to panic. He pushed her further into the wall and trapped her with his arms. "How about we change that opinion of yours?"

She slammed a balled fist into his chest but he didn't even flinch. "Please let me go"

He held the wrist of the hand that hit him and held it over her head. "Don't think that because you've fixed my arm you'd be special"

"What do you want?" she blurted out as she started to struggle from his hold.

"What do I want? That's really naïve of you." he grabbed her other wrist and held it with a hand over her head.

"Please don't" she shut her eyes as he inched his face down her neck, as if he was sniffing her. "You promised"

"Screw that promise" he tasted her with the tip of his tongue, tracing her skin from the crook of her neck up her left jaw. He elicited a shiver from her, may it be from sudden arousal or fear, it pleased him. She smelt lightly like vanilla and tasted innocent.

She was enticing and he was even surprised that he managed to hold himself back from her last night. He allowed his hand to travel down her obviously well-formed mounds which were covered by the modest cut of her collar. He started to caress her soft flesh and squeezed it lightly, making shut her eyes as she gave out a muffled moan. With that she started to struggle from him again. In one scoop he carried her in his arms and placed her on the nearby table. She tried to jump off but he pushed her back, making her hit her head on the hard wood.

"Let…. Me…. Go…" she continued to squirm but stopped as he caught both her wrist and slammed them hard down the table before pinning them with a hand. She felt her hands grow floppy with the impact and with the pulsating pain she was sure it was starting to bruise. With her hand unable to do anything, her feet started to kick. She brushed a kick on his side, making him curse at her. That didn't stop him though. He caught her leg and parted it then ran a hand up her outer thigh. Rolls of tears started to run down her cheeks.

"You really piss me off" he growled as he shadowed over her.

"Then just kill me!" she exclaimed as she moved her body to her side to keep him from pulling down the collar of her dress.

"Not an option" he started kissing the exposed area just below her neck roughly and his hand started travelling higher up her thigh.

"No! No! Please…Stop!" she exclaimed as she felt him touch a place which no one other than herself have ever touched before. "Kurosaki…" she uttered the name of the man who always runs to her side to save her "Kurosaki…" she called for him one more time "Help…Kurosaki…" To her surprise the man stopped what he was doing and started laughing, a bit maniacally.

"It pisses me off when women call names of men other than my own in bed. Remember you're my property" Grimmjow growled as his orbs met hers.

"No I am not" Orihime said firmly.

"What?!" he growled. Grabbing a handful of her hair he pulled her to him, making her sit up. "It's been a while since someone dared to defy me and you wouldn't want to know what happened to the…" he was interrupted by the door busting wide open.

Standing on the door was Pesche with the hooded Dondochakka. Both were panting but wide eyed with the scene in front of them

"Wrong timing" Dondochakka whispered. "Looks like boss is roughing up the chick"

"But it's important…" Pesche replied and bolted up as he saw how furious their boss was looking at them.

"What the fuck do you need?!" Grimmjow snarled. "If you're here to waste my time then start running cause I'm not in a good mood" his hands still held Orihime by the hair.

Pesche shivered and moved behind his pal before speaking. "I… I… we found some man lying outside one of the buildings in the south end…"

"He looked dead so I poked him with a stick but …" Dondochakka added.

Pesche continued. "He sat up and blasted three of our man with some weird power from the tip of his finger"

"It was crazy!" the bulky hooded guy waved his arms in the air in exaggeration.

"What's this crap you're saying?" Grimmjow narrowed his eyes on the two. "Where's the guy?"

"Ah…. After killing our men he passed out…" Pesche started.

"We thought that you might be interested so we brought him here" Dondochakka finished.

"How strong is he?" Grimmjow dropped Orihime on the table.

"Well he cooked three men that easily….I mean, he's strong but not as strong as you, boss" Pesche explained with a small laugh.

Grimmjow smirked. "If he's as strong as you say then great but if he's not…"

"We're dead" Pesche replied with an awkward laugh.

Grimmjow grabbed his pants and his jacket. Putting them on quickly, he headed for the door. He looked back at the woman who lay like a doll on his table, her bright hair was a mess beneath her as she cried quietly.

"That Kurosaki you've been calling wouldn't come for you but I'll be back" he said before shutting the door close as he left.

Orihime wiped her tears away and slowly got up. She was trembling. She tried to stand up she fell down on her knees. She hit the floor in frustration with her fists. They were already in pain but she was numb at the moment. She has never been so scared in her life that she wished for death to come quick to her. At the thought of death the face of her only love appeared on her mind. She started sobbing loudly and muttered his name like it was her mantra.

Shaking her head to eliminate the negative thoughts, she pushed herself up. "I can't die. I'll find a way out. I will"

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Ichigo eyes opened abruptly. He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. It was weird but he just heard Orihime calling him. His eyes then darted at the door as someone started slamming on it. "Damn it! Wait a minute!" he called as he put on his pants before opening the door. "Rukia, what the hell…"

"Ichigo this is bad" she looked serious.

"What?" he furrowed his brows. "Haven't we kicked every punk out of your town already?"

"Yes but we just received a message from your town"

He stiffened. "Did something happen?"

Rukia nodded.

He swallowed before opening his mouth. "Was it bad? Did someone get injured or died?"

Rukia shook her head. "No, but a friend of yours was taken"

"What?! Who?" felt shivers down his spine.

"Inoue Orihime" Rukia saw the darkening in the expression of his face as she mentioned the name.

"What the fuck happened?" he muttered. In his head he hoped that she'd be safe but he knows that the people outside town aren't the kindest. He can't imagine her out there with those people. Clenching his fist, he made a resolve. Find her and bring her home. Fast.

He didn't realized his hands were trembling until he felt a small hand over one of his balled fists. Looking up, he saw the Rukia's firm but sympathetic gaze. Somehow he calmed. "Rukia...I have to do something..."

"Of course. We're behind you" she gave him a curt smile. She's been to battle with him and he saved her from getting chopped to death. She owes him her life but other than that there was something else about him that drew her to him in a way. What is it, she doesn't know. Yet.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Orihime stared at the back of the lean masked man that she was following. An hour ago she was on the bedroom floor, thinking hard on what she should do next. Now she was ordered to fix someone up for Grimmjow. She was led into another building. Grimmjow stood in the buildings entrance, in his left hand was an almost empty bottle of whisky.

"The man's inside. I kicked him around but no response. I'm pretty sure though he ain't dead" Grimmjow grinned "I can feel power seeping through that bastard's skin"

"Why'd you want me to heal him?" Orihime tried to look tough but in truth she was tired and worn.

"Tsk. Don't you get it? He could probably hold up a good fight." Grimmjow grabbed her arm and pushed her into the dim building. "Besides, I have to test my new arm on something good"

Orihime felt sick. She knew she shouldn't have returned his arm but doing so is the better choice. It's the reason why she's still alive at the moment. She looked back at him as he walked away. "Where are you going?" she didn't want to be around him but being alone in a dim rundown building with, possibly, a corpse scared her.

"The city is under attack" he paused and glanced back at her.

Her eyes widened. "Under attack?"

"Yeah" he smirked. "Some people just want a quick ticket to their graves. Just do what I asked. Pesche would stand guard out here" He resumed walking away. "I want him fixed when I get back. If he isn't you'd be punished sufficiently" his laughter trailed off as he disappeared.

Orihime swallowed the lump on her throat. The masked man looked at her with a weak smile. She knew that it wasn't only her who's getting in trouble if she don't do what was asked of her, the sidekick's life was on the line too.

She started to make her way further into the building. One part was too dark that she broke into a run but she calmed as she reached the part where sunlight comes in through the broken line of windows. It was under one of the windows that her eyes caught sight of a figure. She quickly moved closer to the man but stopped a couple of steps away from him.

He struck her as peculiar. He was the palest being she has ever seen. His skin was like alabaster. He was covered in a long, dark, expensive looking coat that was unbuttoned, revealing his slender but evenly muscled body. Kneeling next to the body to examine the man she noticed the dark green lines of either tears or tattoo down his cheeks to his jaw. She got the urge to trace it but held back and checked him for injuries or any sign of ailment. She pushed back the soft black hair from his face and placed the back of her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. He seems fine but he was oblivious to the world around him, which made her wonder what was wrong with him.

The man's face suddenly cringed. She was surprised but caught that look of pain. Placing her hands over his body, she wished to lift the man from any pain he was in. The light engulfed him and she didn't expect that it would work even though she wasn't specifically sure with what she wanted to do.

It's been a minute or two but nothing seems to be happening. She sighed and slumped down. Suddenly his fingers twitched. Instead of moving away she leaned closer to the curious man. His eyes fluttered open. Her eyes met with the most beautiful pair of green eyes she has ever seen. Not one of them moved as they stared at each other. Until he reached for her hand, breaking the shield like light that surrounded him.

On instinct, she should've pulled away but she didn't. Sitting up, the man didn't break his contact with her. His lips opened and a monotonic but soothing, in a way, voice spilled from them.

"What do you think you're doing, woman?" he moved his gaze from her face to her hand which he held.

She was about to give him a reply but there was a loud explosion somewhere nearby, making her spontaneously move closer to him in fear. Her ears rang and she was trembling. The man in contrast to her remained still.

"Woman, tell me what is going on" he said, making her look up at him. There was another explosion and this one sounded worse than the last.

It looks like Grimmjow wasn't kidding when he said that they were under attack. It sounded like a war zone outside the building and Orihime knew that things aren't going to turn for the better soon.


	7. Going Nowhere

**VI**

Ulquiorra watched as the woman in front of him tried to find her voice to answer his question. He doesn't see any reason for him to stay and wait for her answer. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to get caught with the ruckus in that city. It wouldn't benefit him in anyway so it would be a waste for his energy and time. But that light from the woman which engulfed him just moments ago, it made him feel warm and more importantly it jacked up his energy which surely got drained the night before. At the moment he can't remember how that happened.

He felt hands enclose his own. His eyes travelled from the woman's worried face down to his hand in hers. He got the urge to yank it away but he felt her tugging him forward. He just stood still, causing her to whip him a look of confusion.

"For now we shall escape…it's not safe here. We might get…." Her words faded as a frantic scream from the entrance echoed inside the building.

"Ahhhh! Heeeelllppp!" It was Pesche and he was half running, half limping. He tripped half way before reaching the two figures.

Ulquiorra spotted the tin like canister in the distant as it flew into the building. He knew it was bad news and without saying a word he ducked, pulling the woman down with him. The building shook with the explosion. There were dust and debris in the air. He removed his hand from the woman's which were trembling badly. Opening his eyes he saw that the entrance was widened thrice its size. Outside he can see a group of men with melee weapons. He felt the woman moving. He glanced over her and saw that she was crying quietly. He always felt irritated with such display of emotions but decided to ignore her.

"It's best if you take your own advice and escape now" he stood up and lifted himself up the broken window.

"Wait!" the woman scrambled to her feet and to his surprise she followed him out the window.

He didn't mind the woman and continued down the long alley in between two buildings, which was dim despite the midday sun. He can hear her hurried steps as she tried to catch up. She was panting and would occasionally cough. Subtly, he peeked over his shoulder and saw the desperate look in her eyes. _"Why is she following me?"_ he thought then stopped as he reached the end of the alley only to be greeted by a battlefield.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

She was scared, tired and was driven solely by self-preservation at the moment. Why she followed the pale man, she doesn't know. Something told her that she'd be safe with him. She doesn't understand it but something about his forbidding aura soothed her weary soul. She was probably just desperate to escape and survive.

Orihime felt vertigo wash over her. Mindlessly, she reached out to look for support and grabbed the first thing her hands landed on. Opening her eyes, she realized that she was leaning on the man's back, her fist clutching his black coat tightly.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered as she pulled herself together. The man didn't reply. Instead he glanced at her then focused on whatever is in front of them.

Curious with what was happening, she peeked over his shoulder. She almost stumbled back in fear, not sure if it was because Grimmjow was there or because there were dead and injured bodies lying around. She can feel her stomach churn with the sight. So that was why it was silent in that part, it was because everyone else there was dead. Looking at the man who stood unfazed in front of her, she remembered the reason why she was asked to heal him.

Tugging the sleeve of his coat she got his attention. Green eyes fell on her. "Ah…I…I guess it would be best if we turn back or slip pass them unnoticed. You see Grimmjow would like to get his hands on you and it…."

"Grimmjow?" he interrupted her.

She nodded. She feared for the man. Something tells her the pale man was strong but Grimmjow is relentless. "He wants to fight you"

Ulquiorra wasn't one to fight just for fun. Following the woman's gaze he learnt that Grimmjow was the azure haired man who was talking trash to his opponent. He was familiar but he doesn't interest him.

She was about to pull him back into the shadow provided by the alley when Grimmjow's eyes locked on hers.

"Looks like you found a friend" he said out loud, his eyes leaving his sole standing opponent. "Too bad. There might be nothing left of him when I'm done playing" he crunched his knuckles together. Turning briefly to his opponent who was half sure if he was going to attack, he punched through air between them. From where he was standing it was impossible for his fist to make contact with his opponent but the man dropped twitching in pain on the floor. Grimmjow grinned as he looked at the arm he just got back. He then turned to the alley and noticed that the two figures standing there just moments ago were gone. He felt pissed but he wouldn't mind a small chase at all.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Orihime started dragging the man with her, back to the alley as soon as Grimmjow looked away from them. She was surprised that there was no protest from him. "Aha!" she turned into another alley to their right.

Removing himself from her hold, he stopped. "Don't drag me around. I can walk" he casually returned his hand to his pocket.

"Eh….Sorry" she smiled awkwardly. "We should hurry though. Escaping might be easier since everyone is busy"

"You're too eager to escape"

"Huh? Of course"

"You don't even know where you're heading or what you're going to do"

Orihime scratched her head. "Well…"

"You look like a trapped animal in a maze" he walked ahead of her, calmly. "If you continue like that you'd die before you can even escape."

Orihime keep her mouth shut and watched the man as he stopped a couple of feet from the edge of the alley. He was observing the street before them. Upon making sure that they could slip by without anyone noticing, he walked out sleekly as a cat. She wasn't even given a notice to his plans but she made sure to keep up.

Ulquiorra didn't want the woman to follow him. She wasn't that nimble and would always almost stumble behind his back whenever he stops. He finds it annoying.

"Uhm…" Orihime tried to walk next to him. "Where are you going?" she asked but there was no answer.

He stopped and turned to her. "Why are you following me?"

"I'm not sure" she replied looking down feeling a bit embarrassed. The man's stoic face and icy voice didn't help make him appear as a friendlier character around but she wasn't one to judge people by their cover.

"If you think I'm going to help you get out of here then you're wrong" he continued walking and knew that the woman was following him again.

Orihime kept her mouth shut with a pout. As they left the alley he stopped on his tracks again. This time it wasn't for surveillance. It was because Grimmjow was waiting for them, leaning on a half fallen wall, his hands both in his pockets.

"Haven't I told you about the punishments, princess" he straightened up and approached them leisurely. "Where did you think you're going?" his brows furrowed. He stopped ten, give or take two steps, away from them. "You think you can escape me?"

"No…I'm not trying to escape. I just thought of giving him a tour around" she pulled out one of her lame excuses, making the azure haired man laugh and the green eyed man glance at her.

"I'd give you another kind of tour when I'm done here. So stay back" his blue orbs locked on the pale man's green ones.

Ulquiorra didn't saw the enemy as a threat. His opponent removed his hands from his pockets but he didn't. The woman next to him took the advice and hid on a nearby alley. Her eyes focused on them. He knew the man was hungry for a fight and he can feel his intent to sink his fingers on his opponent. The man before him possessed some power but it was no match to his.

Grimmjow felt irritated with his opponent's calm demeanor. There was an arrogant air around him, like he was looking down on everything or anyone around him. Grimmjow spitted on the ground. "You can go first" he extended his arms on both sides, taunting his opponent. "Just make it count because it might be your last"

Without a word Ulquiorra took the invitation with vigilance and intent to finish the fight quickly.

Orihime wasn't even sure if she's seen it right. The pale man seemed to glide next to Grimmjow in a snap. A fist tried to connect to the pale man but it was caught effortlessly. Grimmjow kept on attacking the man but it the end it was him who ended up on the floor. The pale man pointed his finger at the fallen man. Something formed on the tip of his finger and it shot, aimed straight, at Grimmjow.

"Bastard!" Grimmjow evaded the attack by a heartbeat. He was up on his feet in no time and sent bolts of his energy towards his opponent with a punch. His materialized energy was swatted to the side like a fly and it destroyed the abandoned old shop nearby. He was irked by his unusual opponent but he enjoyed the challenge. With a growl he attacked the man in frenzy. He knew he just have to spot a weak point and get him there when he least expected it. He won't allow himself to lose. Not to pale motherfucking bastard like this one.

Ulquiorra skirted the attacks without hassle. He admits that the man has skills and knows that he wasn't human. Distancing himself a bit he let loose another destructive shot, this time Grimmjow didn't have time to evade it but he used his energy to minimize the damage to himself.

Grimmjow hissed as his back hit the half fallen wall. The man stood in front of him still as composed as when they started. Grimmjow shoot up and threw another shot at the man with his fist but the man just turned a bit sideways to let his attack pass. It was getting frustrating.

Ulquiorra returned his hand on his pocket. "You're from Las Noches, aren't you?"

"So what if I am? I can assure you that we've never been neighbors. I'd never live next to…" Grimmjow gritted his teeth when the man interrupted him.

"I see. So there is a chance for a research subject to escape the mad men's lab"

Grimmjow clenched his fist and saw red when he was referred to as a research subject. He directed a punch to the man who again dodged and on the process landed a solid knee kick on his solar plexus. With a groan Grimmjow dropped back. Before he can even hit the ground he felt sharp pain on his side then he tumbled a couple of feet away from where he was standing just moments ago. He tried to sit up but the ringing pain on his torso was a bother. The pale man shadowed over him. There wasn't a triumphant look on his face but it made him feel really insulted. "I'm not a research subject" he groaned.

"You can materialize your energy. Unrefined but surely something that a specimen who was part of that project can do" Ulquiorra pointed a finger at him, prepared to blow him to space.

He grinned painfully. He can't even find it in him to stand up. The pale man proved to be stronger than he looks. "So you're Mr. Poison and Mr. Crack-his-skull's lab rat"

"I am not" a ball of energy formed on his finger tip and he shot the man straight in his heart. Before his shot can reach its target, a light same as before obstructed it. The light shattered and his shot went through, hitting the man on the chest as planned but it didn't went through his body.

Orihime can still remember the things that Grimmjow did to her but she can't just watch as someone gets killed. She wasn't sure if it would work since she only tried this other ability of her once but she ran out from the alley and blocked the shot that would clearly kill Grimmjow.

"What do you think you're doing woman?" his frown deepen.

Orihime's eyes widened at the sight of blood spouting from Grimmjow's mouth. She failed to erect a barrier after all. Her eyes turned from the man clinging to his life on the ground then to the pale man whose gaze was piercing through her.

"I…" She stopped as the pale man walked over to her. Instead of running away she found herself glued on the spot.

He stood an arm's length away from her. He extended his hand and pointed a finger at the center of her chest, brushing his fingertip on a button. The woman held his gaze. His eyes fell on her lips ,which were moving as if to mumble something ,but not a sound came out . He returned his gaze to her gray orbs which watched him intently.

Killing was as easy as breathing for him. It was the definition of his existence anyway.

Destroy. Eliminate. Terminate.

Those are the words that are used over and over, flooding not only his ears but his system, as he accepts assignments from the men that his late master worked for. It doesn't matter who, where or when. He'd kill them as requested. Without the orders, he still kills without regret when he needed to. Right now he itched to kill the woman before him but something made him drop his hand and turn from her. He started to walk away from her.

Orihime was confused. She looked down to where the pale man's finger brushed and realized that she'd get to live another day. On the side of her eyes she saw Grimmjow. Without second thoughts she decided to do something about his wound. She's might be called stupid for helping the man who kidnapped and almost raped her but she can't just find it in her to leave someone to die when she knows that she can do something for them. As she placed the azure haired hot head behind her light, she realized that the pale man started to walk away.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Grimmjow was sure he just died and he cursed at himself. He didn't know what would happen after death. He didn't cared anyway but he never thought that he'd have a trip down memory lane.

It was so vivid. The scenes before him unfold and he was a third person, watching everyone and himself in the memory. The smell of various bleaching agents, sterilized metal, chemicals and faint traces of blood assaulted him. He found his younger self standing in a room with blinding white lights on the ceiling, huge glass tanks filled with things he can't even begin to identify, a wide screen on one wall and a space which looked like a torture chamber than an operating room.

He was guided by a hand into another room connected by an automatic high level security door from the last. The other room was dim and a group of men were huddled in a circle. A young man, around his age in an all-white garb, appeared before him. His hair was pink and it annoyed him. Another man a bit older than the latter approached them. This one was dead creepy, with the thick face paint and eyes that rounded as they inspected him from head to toe as if he was a specimen to be studied. Turns out he was.

The next scenes was a blur but Grimmjow found his younger self thrown into a room surrounded by glass that didn't shutter despite his attacks. He wanted to help himself but he can't reach out to the blue haired boy who was spewing curses at the glass that is now marred with the trickling blood from his knuckles. The pink haired fucker and the creep, along with the other men were busy discussing something and didn't bother with him. He bet they can't hear him from behind the thick glass that caged him. Finally exhausted, he went to the other side of the glass cage and tried to remember how he ended up there. His thoughts though went forgotten when his eyes meet the green ones across him. They were cold if not dead and they belonged to a boy a couple of years younger than him. The boy wore the same white clothes as the others but of different design. They boy turned briefly to the man next to him and they exchanged some words before finally leaving with the man.

It was then that Grimmjow remembered that he knew the man who just killed him. He was one of the prided discoveries of the shit assed leaders of Las Noches. And he was there in that glass cage because he was part of the project that aimed to replicate the boy's prowess as a living and breathing weapon. But what the hell was he doing outside Las Noches? He was their property and he doesn't see any reason why he'd be sent away. Well, if you are no longer of use to the high and mighty assholes you'd be killed not exiled. Of course, they can't kill the monster they adopted easily but they always find ways. The bastard might be on a mission then but why send out a killer of his caliber when a trained Neo-human can beat the shit out of the puny humans? Did he left Las Noches on his own then? Well, fuck it all. It's none of his business anyway.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Ulquiorra stopped upon hearing the rapid footfalls behind him. _"Is she this dense that she doesn't even realize that her life was just spared?"_ He looked over his shoulder and saw the woman bent down, her hands on her knees and her bright auburn hair covered her face as she pants.

"Wait…" she straightened up and went to him.

"What do you want?" he turned to her.

"Ah…I…" she wasn't sure what to say. Why did she even run after him anyway?

When she didn't said anything more he continued on then stopped on the nearby sand sail motor.

"Please help me get out of here" those words just spilled from her as she went after him again. She got a feeling that she asked the wrong man for help but she is on her wits end on trying to figure out what to do next. She's just pushing her luck on anything that might help her.

"I don't like to carry trash around." He bent down and started to hot wire the motor.

Orihime's brows furrowed with his statement but maybe he was right. She can't do much to protect herself and she doesn't have anything to offer him. But still. "I don't know what to do or where to go. That's the truth but if you could just help me reach the next human town… I'll… I'll try my best to repay you in any way I can"

He turned to her and held her gaze. She was clueless but determined. He didn't dislike that. He was reminded of his plan then. He is headed for any human town to hide among them. The people from Las Noches barely bother with humans and the ones who knew him wouldn't even imagine him mingling with humans. He would stick out from them and he isn't fit to adapt to their kind. They'd search other Neo-Human cities before turning to the human towns. With that plan in mind he figured that he can use the woman to blend in easier. Once able to move around humans, he'd be able to jump from one town after the other to cover his tracks. Besides the woman seems to have some interesting abilities, so maybe she isn't completely trash after all. He'd just eliminate her when she's no longer of any use.

"Just make sure you keep your end of the deal" he sat on the motor and turned on the small monitor in front of him. It showed a not so detailed map of the world outside Las Noches but it would do.

Orihime clapped her hands over her chest and beamed. "I never break my promises"

"Can you drive one of these?" he directed his gaze to the other motor leaning on the side of a bench. "Take that one"

Truth is she has no idea of how to use a sand sail motors but she didn't want to be a trash and she had to prove herself somehow. "I can manage" she went to the motor and stared down its controls. A sweat dropped on the side of her face.

"It wouldn't move on its own" his monotonic voice has a drop of impatience in it.

"Sorry" she tried to remember what he did to start it. She may be clumsy and random but she isn't dumb.

Her face lit after when the engine roared to life. Yanking those wires made her feel like she was going to destroy the thing but it worked. She got on it and turned to the man nearby. She watched and copied the things he did, she kicked the steel on the side which kept the motor on the ground then turned the controller inward. She twisted it hard though that she rushed past the pale man who looked displeased with her carelessness. She managed to stop the motor though and gave him an awkward laugh as his ride glided past her.

He rode ahead of the woman but he found himself unable to stop from glancing back at her. Her emotions changes in a snap and it amused him. He didn't regard emotions to be important since it makes one weak and so he taught himself how to control them till one day he found that he was already rid of them. The woman, in contrast, has her emotions written all over her face. Probably that's one of the reasons why she appears helpless. She exposes her fears and worries too easily.

"Try to keep up. I won't be waiting for you" he watched her on the corner of his eye when she was finally able to ride alongside him.

"Ok…" she focused on the road ahead and held tightly on the handles. The motor was shaky if not wobbly. Her control of it wasn't that good yet but she'd learn eventually. The pale man turned a sharp left and so did she. On the process she almost ran into his motor but she managed to tilt it to the other side to avoid colliding at his motor's rear. On her left, a row of abandoned stores burned and the smoke from it darkened the sky. On a distance to her right, she noticed that some were still fighting. She never liked violence but she's been exposed to a lot of it in just 24 hours.

Not a word was exchanged between the two of them. Twice on their way out of the city, someone tried to provoke them into a fight but the men were blown off by shots from the pale man. She can say that he's the type who is aloof, cold and merciless but truth is she doesn't mind following him. Unlike Grimmjow, the man wouldn't take advantage of her, just kill her if she pisses him off. That was the least of her worries now though.

Finally they reached the edge of the city. Ulquiorra stopped for a while and checked the map before looking around to determine the cardinal directions. When he decided where to head next he glanced at the woman next to him. She was watching him and almost jumped from her ride when his eyes met hers.

"Do you have any idea of the terrain or the dangers that lies out there?" he inquired.

"I don't know much about the world outside our town" she replied, a finger tapped her lips twice.

"What do you know?"

"Huh?" she titled her head a bit. "Well there are anarchic groups outside human towns. They're humans too but like Grimmjow's group they can be hostile. I heard that there are a lot of them out there" the thought of that worried her. "About the topography of the place… so far I've only seen sand and a number of hills."

"I see." He went off on a normal pace, and she rode next to him. He didn't really care about the danger that might lie ahead. He is not one to be scared but the world outside the walls of the city where he lived all his life was a mystery and he wanted to know everything he can about it.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Grimmjow opened his eyes and sat up, panting and covered with sweat. That nightmare was awful and he is alive. Looking down at his chest, he couldn't believe that not a single mark from the shot was left. He wiped the blood from his jaw as he looked around. He was no longer lying down on the sandy ground. He was in his room. The door creaked open.

Pesche and Dondochakka entered.

"We've won" Pesche gave a thumb up.

"but we couldn't find the woman anywhere" Dondochakka added and shivered with the gaze of their boss.

"What?!" he growled. "That bitch"

"Calm down boss" Pesche panicked. "Ah yes… we have other guests"

"Who?" he got out of bed.

"Some group needs our assistance and they offered us half of the loot they'd get" Dondochakka pulled out the bottle of whisky he brought with him and handed it to their boss.

Grimmjow opened the bottle and took a gulp. It was great. "That's crazy. Half the loot? I'd talk to the one in charge of them and see if they are worth my time." He placed the bottle down the table and remembered that earlier he had the woman there but now she left without him even having a good taste of her. It really pissed him off. What more he was defeated. _"Damn that son of a bitch"_ he took another gulp at the thought of those green eyes looking at him as if to rub his weakness all over him. He hated it.


	8. Freak of Nature

**VII**

The heavens on the dark horizon were flickering with strands of electric light. The winds in the barren space of sand with casual patches of land and shrubbery have become a bit stronger. Orihime felt a couple drops of water land on her cheek as the wind blew by. It would be really bad if they get caught in a storm out in the open.

She sped up to ride alongside her pale companion. "Uhmm…" she suddenly realized that she didn't even know the man's name. "It looks like there is going to be a storm. We should look for shelter for the mean time."

Ulquiorra tapped on the device in front of him. The closest possible area to seek shelter was three miles to the west. It wasn't that far and they could make it in time before the storm rolls in. "Follow me" he glanced at the woman as he turned his motor to head off to another direction.

Orihime followed closely behind him. A loud crashing sound ripped the sky in half. It was far from them but it was scary enough to make Orihime scream in surprise and fear. Covering both her ears and shutting her eyes she mumbled to herself. "Storms are just creatures in the sky playing ball, don't panic"

"Woman, this is no time to stop." He scolded.

"I know!" she exclaimed and grabbed the handle of her motor. "But…Didn't that scared you even one bit?" there was no reply. The man's motor increased in speed and she matched his.

She sighed and wondered what it would take to wipe the perpetual blankness off the man's face. Even Chad who is really reserved has more emotions than the pale man in front of her. _"Chad…"_ she thought then suddenly she remembered all her friends. Tears rolled down her cheeks but she quickly wiped them off. _"I want to go home…"_ she sniffed as she remembered her small but cozy room, the clinic, the jolly housekeeping robot, every other part of their town which she spent time in and everyone else who lived in it. Suddenly her thoughts drifted to a certain orange haired man who would always walk her home from the clinic.

"Kurosaki" she muttered his name then sniffed again. She wondered if he found out about her being kidnapped. She really wanted to see him and she even called for him when she was in a dire situation but part of her hopes that he doesn't come for her. The last thing she wants is for him to get into trouble because of her. She sighed.

_"__He didn't even know how I felt for him" _she kept her head low. _"I'm not even sure if I'd ever get home" _she sighed again, this time louder than the last. _"I'm really scared but at the same time I am not" _tilting her head to the side she sighed again. _"And he barely talks to me which really doesn't help lift my spirits"_ she sighed again as her eyes travelled to the man next to her. Green eyes stared back at her without her even realizing it right away.

"Stop sighing. It wouldn't make things better" he said before looking away from her.

She sighed again despite the warning. "How can you be so calm at a time like this?" she muttered to herself.

"I try to focus on what needs to be done" he replied.

"Eh?! You heard that?"

"You're riding close to me and I'm not deaf"

She pouted and looked away from him. She distanced her motor and thought that she should try and focus too. She can think about her worries later but for now she should do everything she can to survive.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Kurosaki Ichigo stomped his way out the town hall, his fists clenched and his brows furrowed. Upon exiting the building he was greeted by Rukia and Renji who stopped their little conversation to look at him and Chad who walked forward to meet him.

"Damn it" he muttered.

"What did the old man say?" Renji got up from his motor.

"He wouldn't allow me to leave my post" Ichigo scratched his head irritably. "To hell with that!"

"So you're going to find your friend on your own?" Rukia inquired.

"Of course. I'll find her." He closed his eyes, letting out a breath. He glanced at the small woman. "She always seem to be alone you know." He said with a small bitter frown at the memory of his friend. "She's a worrier. She's random and can talk for hours about the weirdest ideas you'd ever hear. She'd smile at anyone and despises violence"

"Ichigo" Chad placed a hand on his friend's shoulder

"Can you even imagine that kind of person out there with those ruffians?" he asked himself and his companions.

"I'll go with you" Chad squeezed Ichigo's shoulder.

Ichigo shook his head and smiled at his friend. "Take over my job"

Chad's eyes widened. "But…Ichigo…"

"You did your job well and you can take care of this town with the men." He removed the patch on his coat's left breast pocket which signifies his rank and handed it to Chad, who hesitantly took it.

"You'd always be our leader…so I couldn't take your position. I'd stay as your right hand and protect this town until you return with Inoue" Chad held the patch tightly.

Ichigo nodded. He knew his friend was decided to not take his post. Besides leaving it felt like having an assurance that he'd return. Venturing outside the towns, away from the protected paths which connect one town to another, is like getting a one way ticket to hell. He'd have to find the man who took Inoue. Whether she's still with him or not, he swore to beat the living crap out of the man. "Alright then. Hold on to that till we return."

"So what are we going to do now?" Renji crossed his arms.

"We?" Ichigo walked to his motor. "I'm doing this alone" he scowled.

Rukia marched to Ichigo and kicked his shin.

"What the heck did you do that for!?" Ichigo cringe in pain and jolted up.

"We've already agreed to help you and you said that we can join you. So what is this 'I'm doing this alone' drama you're pulling at us!?" Rukia rested her knuckles on her hips.

Ichigo did remember accepting their help but he didn't want to drag them into this. "Forget that. I wasn't thinking at the moment. I don't want you to…" he paused and backed away as he saw her small fist rushing towards his abdomen. "What's wrong with you!?"

"Stupid!" Rukia crossed her arms, pissed that she didn't hit the man. "You think we're joining in for your sake alone!?"

"We have our own agenda for setting out of town too" Renji added.

"So you're just hitching a ride?" Ichigo puffed.

"Heck no!" Rukia wanted to kick him again but held back. "We'll help you find your friend. We just have to research on a subject that is quite personal to impart with you now. I can assure you though that we won't get in your way."

Renji furrowed his brows and grinned. "I know you're dumb but you know that going out on your own would send you six feet under. Don't overestimate yourself"

"I am not. I just don't want anyone else to get in trouble" He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Fine! You can go with me but haven't you forgotten that you also have your duties to fulfill?"

"Our town leader lets us do what we want. Besides we have twenty other recruits from the next town and the security system has just been upgraded. Losing the two of us wouldn't be a big deal. We left the town in capable hands" Renji waved his hand in front of him to dismiss Ichigo's statement.

"Oh, so that cue ball and manicure guy were capable?" Ichigo raised a brow.

"Of course they are!" Rukia exclaimed before going back to her motor.

"Besides, a little trip outside would be fun and I won't allow you to hog it all to yourself" Renji grinned.

"Jeez…this is not a game." Ichigo started his engine. "I'm going home to check on everyone, you two can stay there tonight" he then smiled at Chad. "Take care of everyone" after receiving a nod from the quiet giant, he rushed back home.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Rain started to fall, it wasn't hard yet but it made the terrain before them look blurry. Ulquiorra looked at the device in front of him. They were supposed to be in the town showed in the map but there was nothing. He stopped and looked around. They were surrounded with mounds of soil and sand but there were no buildings nearby. Thunder and lightning boomed in pair and he suddenly felt hands clutching his soaking coat's sleeve. He looked at the woman next to him. Her bright damp hair stuck on her cheeks and despite the rain he knew she was crying. Her once pinkish lips have turned pale and even her cheeks had gone dull. She was shivering and her hand was slipping from his sleeve.

"Woman, try to keep it together" he held her upper arm and pulled her up but when he did she dropped sideways to him. He managed to keep his balance and held the woman with both hands. Her eyes were half open and she seems to be muttering something.

A strong gust of wind passed by, almost pushing him off his motor. Still holding the woman, he got out of his ride to place the woman down. He can hear and feel the rain getting stronger. It was turning from bad to worse. His thick coat was drenched and became too heavy that it became a hindrance to his movements. He reached for a cylindrical stainless steel container in his coat's pocket, which was the size of his palm, before removing his coat and tossing it aside. His bare alabaster skin was dripping with icy rain water. It was cold but he has to keep moving.

Leaving the woman would make things easier for him but just as he was about to stand up he felt her hand's clinging unto his pants. Kneeling back down, he decided to carry the woman with him. He hoisted her over his shoulder and rode his motor. His impulse decision to not leave her surprised him but he reasoned to himself that she still has a use for him.

For a while the motor ran fast and smooth but it became wiggly till it just stopped. They didn't cover much ground and he still can't see any possible shelter around. Quickly he got out of the ride and started to jog forward then he stopped. He realized that there is a faster way for him to scan the area for shelter.

He was forbidden to use it when he was in Las Noches but he did used it thrice before. First was when he first learnt about it and he practiced a bit with it. Next was when he had to eliminate a dangerous enemy. The last time he tried it was the other night. He was aware that he had problems using this other ability of his but it would help them a lot.

Moving the woman from his shoulder to his arms, he parted his lips and muttered the words that served like an incantation to call out his inner beast.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Orihime felt herself getting lifted by the man whose name was still a mystery to her. She was cold and tired. All she could hear was the rain and in her half unconscious state she can see nothing but she can feel him. She can feel the heat coming from him despite the rain as her hands brushed on his bare skin. From her initial position, she felt herself being carefully moved down. Opening her eyes a bit, despite the rain she saw his emerald eyes looking down at her. She didn't move and watched as his lips mutter something that she barely heard. She didn't have enough energy to give an appropriate reaction, equal to her astonishment but she was stupefied. The green in his eyes spilled to his sclera. His iris turned yellowish and with the thin black pupil in the middle, his eyes now somehow resembled that of a black cat. She noticed that the dark lines on his face grew thicker. She wanted to touch it, run her cold fingertips down it and see if they would stain her but she can't keep her eyes open. She felt really sleepy but instead of experiencing a falling sensation, she felt like she floated to the heavens.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Ulquiorra finally spotted a small cluster of dilapidated building and without second thoughts headed for it. It was a challenge to fly on a bad weather but he managed to safely glide with the current of the wind, making it less taxing to move around.

He landed inside one of the cracks of a taller building. It was really dark but he was used to it. In fact he preferred it. He stopped in an area where there were no windows or cracks on the walls. He folded his wings and looked down the woman he was holding in his arms. At first he couldn't see much of her but a flash from the lightning gave him a fleeting chance to see her face. He just stared at her. Another lightning ripped the sky, then another and another. He didn't know why but he found it hard to look away from her.

He couldn't understand how she came into the conclusion of going with him even after seeing how destructive he can be. Humans are supposed to cower in sight of power beyond their reach but she didn't even flinched when he tried to envelope her with his killing aura. She did have an interesting ability which he hasn't seen before but he was certain that she was human and she expected her to act like one. Maybe she's just stupid. He remembered how she deliriously reached to touch his face just a moment ago. He got the urge to drop her but her finger's just brushed his jaw and it fall limp over her chest.

No one would dare touch a monster, especially a human.

Somewhere along the line he realized how hideous he was and how double edged his existence was for those who collared him that a plan on how to terminate him actually existed. He then slowly learnt that he was considered a mistake, an anomaly in what was considered normal by many. That is why he was separated from the world. So how dare this woman try to touch a monster?

With this he concluded that the woman in his arms was strange, almost as much as he is.

Slowly he knelt down and laid her on the concrete floor. Her breathing seems normal but she was trembling. He too felt cold and so he decided to search the area around them for anything he could use to make even just a small fire. He found nothing but he was sure that he could find something somewhere else. He left the room, aided only by his keen senses to guide him through the darkness.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

It was almost dawn but instead of sleeping Grimmjow was chugging a bottle of red wine. It wasn't exactly as strong as his preferred liquor but it was something. From the sculpture of the ancient god, where he was lounging around, he felt like he was the center of the world. He felt like an unrecognized king that was bound to seat in one of the highest thrones in existence. He placed down his almost empty bottle and got up with a groan. Several buildings from the sculpture was a caravan owned by the man who asked for their assistance. He agreed to help the man whose group's number was dwindling. The man though was not to be underestimated.

Grimmjow growled and remembered how he almost lost to the man in front of his underlings. He knew that the man intentionally made him win but if the man didn't held back with his attacks he'd be in a critical state again. One of the wolves from the pack which was owned by the man howled. Grimmjow gritted his teeth.

_"__Why am I so fucking weak!?" _he clenched his fists. Closing his eyes to let the anger pass, scenes from his past which reminded him of how helpless he was flashed before him until finally the green judging eyes appeared once more. Mocking him.

"Argh! Damn it all!" he jumped out of the sculpture and headed to his building to get some shut eye.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Orihime was having a dream of walking alone in a long cold path. Her lips quivering and chopped. Her fingers were stiff and dry and her lids heavy as her heart in turmoil. She felt like dropping dead but suddenly she felt teased by the heat which slowly pulled her back to reality.

It felt great, the heat. She tried to reach for it with eyes half open but she suddenly froze. Just behind the fire she can see a strange creature with folded wings that were as dark as his hair and the thick lines that dripped out from his eyes. It was scary but at the same time she found it fascinating. She swallowed her scream. Upon realizing that the creature was watching her she sat up and darted her eyes all over the place. The fire in between her and the creature wasn't enough to completely illuminate the dark space they were in. Outside the rain have not calmed and the winds that came in from the distant hole in the wall were chilly.

Her eyes then met those that were from across her. She felt fear start to creep through her nerves but staring at the man made her realize that the creature before her was the man she was with. Her lips gaped. She wanted to say something but wasn't sure what to say first. She just stared at the man until the man broke contact first.

"What?" he said rather harshly. When there was no reply he continued. "Isn't this the part where you run away in fear and start begging for your petty life?"

Orihime can sense little traces of pain in his beastly eyes and icy tone. She clasped her hands to stop herself from shivering, both from the cold and fear. "Why?" she muttered. "Why should I beg for my life? You saved me"

His eyes widened as they met hers again then they narrowed. "Saved you? You surely have no idea of what's in front of you"

"I don't" she muttered. "but I don't see anything that I should be afraid off"

He maintained their eye contact. "Liar"

The words pierced through her. Never has she been called a liar in her entire life. "I'm not…"

"You are shivering in fear and you're eyes speaks of fear that not even words can express. With that you still claim to not be afraid?"

"I…" she bit her lip. "I really am not. I was surprised and didn't recognize you when I woke up, so it was only natu…"

"Enough." His calm but stern voice rang in the space as he interrupted her. It was nothing new anyway and her opinion of him doesn't matter. Nobody's opinion does.

"I'm sorry" Orihime didn't looked away from him. There was a while of silence which was broken by her croaking stomach. The man looked at her and she blushed. "Oops" she patted her stomach giggling.

The man reached for the stainless steel container next to the bunch of batteries that scattered around him. "Here" he tossed the container to her, which she barely caught.

She held the container tightly then started to loosen the lid. Inside there were capsules of different colors. She beamed. "Wow. Back in my town these are really hard to obtain." She pulled one capsule out with a finger.

"One would be enough to sustain you for a day" he watched the smile that was painted on her face. He can't help but feel amuse with how calm she was already despite his presence in his beastly form. He thought that maybe she really wasn't scared of him.

"I hope its chocolate wasabi flavor" she popped the capsule into her mouth. "Oh… this one is corn muffin" she closed the lid of the container and stood up. She walked towards the man across her and squatted down. She extended her hand to him to give him the container. "Thanks"

The man took the container from her then looked away. He turned a bit to his side and it was only then that she actually noticed the horn that stuck out from his head and the long whip like tail from behind him. His forearms were covered with black fur and so was the lower part of his body. At their proximity, she can feel his seeping oppressing aura but it made her more interested about him than scared. He was strange and surely not human. Probably not even a Neo-Human. He reminded her of the sketch she found in her brother's items. Though now the man's irises were yellow with thin slits of black instead of green.

Suddenly she found herself face to face with him again. She fell back on her behind.

"Stop staring woman" he reprimanded. He wanted to tell her that he'd pluck her silver eyes from their socket if she doesn't stop but decided that it was unnecessary to say so. She was already on retreat.

"Ah…I'm sorry!" she crawled back to her space across him. Again not a word was exchanged between them and the silence was making the surroundings colder. She decided to break the ice.

"Uhmn… I am sorry about earlier" she asked clasping her hands on her lap. "I figured that I fainted out there. I was just feeling really tired. Thanks for not leaving me out there" she waited for a reply but none came.

Orihime then focused on the dress she wore. She felt really uncomfortable. Her dress was damp and it stuck tightly to her body. So was her hair which was tangled and messy. Her fingers won't even do its usual job of fixing it. She really hoped to take a bath at the moment but that was impossible. She reached for her brown suede loafers, which were soaked like her, then removed it from her feet. She stole glances at the man.

"Is there a problem, woman?" he hissed, annoyed with the way she was looking at him again.

Orihime waved both her hands in front of her and shook her head. "No…No…I'm sorry. I was just wondering if it would be alright if you turn away"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm really cold and my clothes are still wet. I wouldn't want to get sick. It would be a hindrance to our journey. So I was wondering if you can turn around so that I can… uhm… take my clothes off so that they'd dry right away" she explained coyly. She really didn't want to strip down when she was with a stranger but it was either she takes them off or she gets sick.

"Just do as you please" the man replied.

"Could you please turn around?"

"Is there something I shouldn't see?"

She turned red. "Of course! I couldn't take my clothes of in front of…" she sneezed before she can even finish her sentence. She heard an irritated low growl and to her surprise the man just suddenly turned around in compliance. "Uhm… thanks" She quickly removed her dress, pulling it over her head and laid it next to her loafers near the fire, but left her under garments on. She turned away from the fire, so that only her back would show to him just in case he peeks.

She stared at darkness and it calmed her. She was glad that at least the man she was with was decent enough to not make any advances to her. She trusted that the man wasn't as lewd as Grimmjow. If she was with Grimmjow though, she'd rather die than take her clothes off. The thought of those blue eyes wondering over her body made shivers run down her spine.

It was really quiet and she'd look over her shoulder every once in a while but all she could see were the huge dark wings on the man's back. Her casual sniffing and sneezing would break the silence along with the crackling of the fire but it wasn't enough to give even a bit of life to the desolated place. She wondered of how nice it would have been if the place they were in didn't fell to ruins. If there was no conflict within the two kinds then the world outside of Las Noches would really be diverse and vibrant. She imagined the kinds of people she could have met and the culture they'd have.

She tried hard to ignore the pulsating headache and the small chills she was getting but it was really starting to make her uncomfortable. She lay on her side down the sandy floor as drowsiness kicked in. The heat from the fire doesn't seem to be enough to warm her. She wanted to move closer to it but it might burn her. As she closed her eyes, she heard the symphony of the rain. It was in a monotone, harsh and cold, just like her companion but on some level it comforted her.

* * *

**Note:**

_-I was so stressed lately that the updates on all my on going fic were stalled. You see, I have intensive french classes, I'm looking for a job (which is so damn frustrating at some point), I'm also preparing for an exam and I always find my self really sleepy. _  
_-I hate leaving things half done so updates might be slow from time to time but I'll finish this fic._

_-Thanks for the reviews,follows and faves :3_


	9. Gravitation

**VIII**

Looking down his fur covered forearm to his palm, Ulquiorra frowned. Once again he was having problems reverting to his other form. It was the reason for his collapse. His energy got drained but luckily the woman managed to replenish it with her ability. He thought of how she can come in handy for him in the future.

The fire dividing them has become smaller and it allowed him to have a full view of her. Her hair appears to be merging with the fire with its fiery color and her lips were slightly parted and she was mumbling in her sleep. His eyes traveled down her curves. She was no longer lying on her side and was spread quite vulgarly in fact. Her mounds rise and fall along with her soft breathing. The plane of her stomach was smooth and so was her leg which was angled up a bit to cover her inner thigh.

He felt an urge to move closer to her and run his claw down her skin but immediately shook the thought away. He doesn't give much value to aesthetics or appearances but he knows what is pleasing to the eyes and what's not if he was confronted by it. And he can say that the woman before him was beautiful.

Ulquiorra then turned his head from the woman and scolded himself for his thoughts. They were unnecessary thoughts. At least that's how he was programmed to think. Appreciation for beauty is irrelevant to his tasks. There was nothing beautiful with was he was doing to begin with. Interactions with others, even intimate ones, are solely for the purpose of a job he was commanded to do. Nothing more. Showing compassion wasn't even in his dictionary but here he was with a woman he just met but can't leave. Something in him tells him to not eliminate her, pushing aside her use to him.

The woman shifted to her side. Her eyes fluttered open and a small yawn escape her lips. She stretched out, half asleep at one point and flustered in the next. Her eyes rounded as they met his. Quickly she reached for her dress and covered herself up with it.

"Why were you looking?!" she exclaimed.

"Do you expect me to face the wall for hours?"

"But you shouldn't have looked!" she strategically placed her arms in the armhole of her dress then wore the dress over her head in a way that the skirt part would help cover her body. "This is embarrassing" she mumbled as she stared down her dried dress, smoothing is with a hand. "I'm so stupid. I should have known that all men are perverts and they'd look even if they say they won't" she muttered, keeping her head low.

There was a long awkward silence once more.

Ulquiorra looked out the distant hole in the wall and noticed that the rain had already calmed. "Woman, we'll leave as soon as the rain stops"

"It's Inoue Orihime" she was still a bit upset about being seen almost naked but the man didn't really do anything indecent, in fact it was as if he didn't really cared about seeing her that way.

Ulquiorra stared back at her. "What?"

"Please call me by my name. It's Orihime" she gave him a small smile. "So what's your name? It's funny how we don't know each other's name till now"

"Ulquiorra" he stated.

"Ur…kora?" she repeated his name awkwardly, unsure with what it was.

He hated repeating himself but he did anyway. "It's Ulquiorra"

"Owww…I'm sorry" she pushed back the strands of hair on her face. "Ulquiorra. Did I get it right?"

He noted how warmly she smiles at him. "Now that you know my name it doesn't mean that you can just chatter needlessly with me"

"Don't worry I won't" she shook her head then tilted her head to the side. "But you know I don't think it would hurt if you talk to me every now and then…or if you respond to me. I mean it's quite sad when it's silent"

"I prefer silence and I don't see how it could make one sad" he stared down the weakening fire and at a glance he caught her smile turn upside down.

"You must've been alone a lot" her orbs caught his.

He opened his mouth to reply but before he can even mutter a word he felt his heart start to race. He placed a hand over his chest and bent down as the pulsating pain started to spread throughout his body. His vision blurred but he can see the woman kneeling in front of him. He can't hear her voice but he knows that she was calling him. He was numbed with pain but he can feel her fingertips as she touched his bare shoulders. He shut his eyes as the world started spinning out of control. His wings opened and he fell forward to the woman. In pain, he started clutching her arms, digging his claws into her flesh. He can smell her blood and it reminded him of the many people he has slaughtered in the past. Another wave of pain crashed unto him, this time though it knocked the lights out of him.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Grimmjow gnashed his teeth in irritation as he glanced over at the man who was sleeping on top of the moving caravan. The man's features were shadowed by the huge umbrella that towered over him and his annoying adopted daughter crawled all over him as he slept. He still couldn't believe that the inside of the caravan was actually for the wolves and not the man. Probably the man was too weird that's why he was left by his men, he concluded.

Grimmjow boosted his motor up another foot off the ground. "Oi! Starrk! Are you sure we are headed the right way? You said that there will be a forest and a river in the area but it's been three fucking hours and all I can see is stupid sand"

"Can you be a bit more patient and chill out" Starrk scratched his goatee and pushed the green haired girl off him as he sat up to look down the azure haired hothead.

"You said it wasn't that far and now you expect me to chill out?" Grimmjow glanced over the group of men he handpicked for the raid. "They're already like sizzling barbeque under this heat. They might end up jumping into the river when we get there rather than do their job"

"Just a little more" Starrk said as he handed the young girl a candy so she'll stop wriggling around. "Probably" he added.

"Shit. Anyway you said something about a change in the culture of groups out here. What is that about? I doubt that there's a damn culture out here anyway. As far as I know the only culture out here is hack, slash, steal and cheat" he chuckled.

"It's not in the culture exactly but unlike before groups are more open to forming alliances" Starrk reached for his water bottle and had a good gulp.

"Probably it's the shortage of food. Towns have been stronger lately and ransacking their warehouses is getting tougher." Grimmjow caught his leather jacket which almost slipped off from behind him. He stuffed it back and leaned on it. It was too hot to even wear the thing and he'd actually consider stripping his pants next.

"We haven't visited a human town for almost a year now" the girl replied, her light green hair looked darker under the blazing sun.

"What? How'd you survive? You ate sand?"" Grimmjow snickered.

"Unlike you we have knowledge on producing our own food, bubblegum boy" she stood up crossing her arms.

"Lilinette, sit down. You'll fall" Starrk pulled the girl down and she growled at him.

"Whose bubblegum boy? Weed hair!" Grimmjow spat. "How could you live with that rug rat?"

"She's got a good eye." Starrk smiled. "But yes she can be annoying"

Lilinette punched the man in the shoulder. "At least I'm not a sleepy head like you. I'm out of here. I'm getting cooked" she wiped the sweat on her forehead. Grabbing the water bottle, she went to the side of the caravan roof and lithely slipped into the seat next to the driver.

"Ahh…yes you were asking about how we survived without raiding human towns. Well back in our base we managed to grow crops and also from time to time the boys ambush passing raiders, taking their supply for our own" he ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Disturbing human towns can be tasking and our base is really far from any human towns"

"You're pretty far from my city but you went out of your way to seek my help. I guess my reputation reaches far and wide" Grimmjow grinned.

"The enemy of your enemy is your friend right?"

"I'll kick that lanky guy's ass when I see him. He's my catch ok?"

"Whatever. I just want to mess his place up like he did mine" Starrk looked to his right. "Hey look" he pointed at the shadow of a new terrain in the distance.

"Finally we're here!" Grimmjow exclaimed, feeling exited to get his hands on someone and beat them plump.

"My men should be rendezvousing with us soon. Let's stop a couple of miles from the forest"

Grimmjow adjusted his aviator goggles with a grin. "Yeah whatever"

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

Orihime was still in a bit of shock from what happened. The pain from the wounds on her arms still hasn't subsided but tying it up with cloth did make the bleeding stop. Luckily, his claws didn't dug too deep to tear her flesh off but still it hurts. Aside from the pain she was feeling physically, she also felt pained for the man that lay in front of her. She can see the agony in his eyes as he clung on to her.

After passing out the man reverted to his original form. She have always imagined transformations to involve blinding lights and even levitation, that's what she got from the comics she read back home. The guy though just regressed. The wings shattered and turned into ash and so did the fur and the horns. He was left stark naked though and she blushed at the thought of seeing a man like that for the first time. On the next floor to the one they were staying at, she found folded cloths inside boxes. They looked old and were nowhere near silky but they did the job for stopping her wounds and covering up the man.

"Please be alright" she muttered as she maintained her hands over the sleeping form. Her light illuminated the room more than the dying fire and she marveled at how wonderfully it looked in the dark.

She waited several minutes more before the man regained his consciousness. Unlike when she first healed him, he didn't shatter her light. From behind the glass like light, he sat up and just stared back at her, studying her. She smiled at him and placed down her hands to her lap.

"Are you feeling better? You scared me. I thought you were dying" she giggled in relief.

Ulquiorra didn't expect to hear those words. "You were scared that I would die?"

"Of course" she felt a twitch of pain on her wound and she cringed.

His eyes travelled from her face to her arms. The smell of her blood was evading his senses. "Why don't you heal yourself?"

"Ah…Well…" she looked down her wound.

"Helping someone before yourself. You're a strange one, woman" he muttered.

"I guess I should try healing myself then" she focused on her arm and allowed her light to surround it. She can feel it closing up a bit but after waiting several more minutes she realized that there was no longer any progress.

"Did it work?" he inquired, keeping an uninterested tone.

She undid her makeshift bandage and stared down the almost closed wound. "Just a bit"

"Do you not know much about your ability?"

"Actually I don't. I never really used it much before but as far as I know I can completely heal or rather reject things like wounds" she remembered her brother's notes on her ability.

"There are abilities that don't serve their master but probably with time and practice you might manage to regenerate yourself."

"Really?"

"How can a human gain such power?" he inquired, knowing that if people from Las Noches learn about her existence she'd be taken by them in no time and she'd surely fall into the same fate he had.

"I don't know but I hope to find answers someday"

Ulquiorra stared down the piece of cloth that lay over her lower half. "The rain has stopped. We have to get to the nearest town with inhabitants as soon as possible."

Orihime nodded. She was about to ask something regarding their probable plan of action but she froze and flushed. The man just stood up without a care. The cloth fell down the ground but he picked it up. "Put something on!" she exclaimed as she shut her eyes and covered them with her hands.

"Why are you getting nervous woman?" He started wrapping the wide cloth around him and fashioned it in a way that it'd turn out to be a cloak. It covered him to just below the knees. "Haven't you seen someone naked before or got naked in front of someone?"

She can't believe how flatly he could ask those questions. "Of course not!" she shook her head, her hands still covering her eyes.

He looked down at her then out the hole on the wall. The sun was still covered by the clouds but he was sure that it was at its peak "It's already midday and probably more than a day have passed"

"What?!" Orihime opened her eyes and turned towards the hole on the wall.

"We shall leave this place now."

"I hope our motor still works" she got up and glanced at the man, glad that he has covered up.

"I doubt that and we left it far from here. We'd waste a day trying to locate it again" Ulquiorra started walking towards the other door on the other end of the room which led to the floors below them. He didn't look back but he knew that the woman was closely following him.

Not a word was exchanged till they reached the ground floor but Orihime was starting to learn how to enjoy the silence with him.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"Look what the winds sent our way" the long thin arm moved down and placed the camouflage printed binoculars on the wooden table that was home to several used utensils and random objects that have already accumulated dust and cobwebs.

"Do you want me to deal with them already?" the young blond man ducked his head in respect.

"Try finishing what I asked you to do first you maggot!" the lanky man turned at the man with a look of irritation.

"I'm sorry. But would it be really alright for me to set out despite the looming attack on us?"

"So you think I'm not good enough to send those men to their graves?" the man took a step closer to the other man who kept his head bowed. "I can kill them all and bathe in their blood on my own! Now get your ass moving!" he raised a hand to hit the man but the man bowed lower and excused himself from the room.

He returned to the window and rows of white teeth flashed as he picked the binoculars once more to observe his opponents movements. Among them, he spotted a man with electric blue hair. He carelessly set down the binoculars on the table and laughed like crazy. Holding his stomach he stopped.

His tongue which split in two at the end like a snake's licked his dried lips in delight. "So we'll meet again Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez"


End file.
